COEUR d'ALENE - Idaho state Sen. Jim Hammond, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said he's fairly confident there will be legislation banning text messaging while driving that will make it through the Idaho Legislature in 2012.

"You cannot adequately drive and text at the same time," Hammond told The Press Wednesday. "It creates a safety hazard for the texter and surrounding vehicles."

Hammond, of Coeur d'Alene, said there already is a law on the books addressing inattentive driving, but the state needs something that more specifically targets texting and driving.

If no legislation is brought forth on texting, Hammond plans to do it himself.

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday called for a nationwide ban on driver use of personal electronic devices, like cell phones, while operating a motor vehicle.

The NTSB said its recommendation was inspired by a long list of deadly crashes.

A recommendation by the federal government is nice, but it's going to be up to the Idaho Legislature to pass laws that drivers here must follow.

State Rep. Frank Henderson, a member of the House Transportation and Defense committee, said there have been efforts in the past two legislative sessions to ban text messaging while driving. Those efforts failed, in part, because of questions about enforcement, he said.

"I would support anti-texting" legislation, but first he'd have to read the bill and see what the penalties would be, said Henderson, of Post Falls. "It's a serious distraction while driving."

State Rep. Phil Hart, of Athol, said he believes that if cell phone use while driving is banned, people will do it anyway, and they'll likely work hard to hide it, which makes it even more distracting.

Besides, he said, the inattentive driving law is already on the books.

He has not decided on his support for a law specifically targeting cell phone use by drivers.

"Personally, for me, I need to see more data before I make up my mind," Hart said. "I still need to do more personal study on the issue."

When it has come up in the past, legislators couldn't agree on the language or approach, Hart said.

State Sen. John Goedde, of Coeur d'Alene, said, "I don't understand how people could text while driving," though acknowledging it happens.

He said he saw a bicyclist riding down Kathleen Avenue the other day, steering with an elbow, while he typed out a text message.

He said if the Idaho Legislature were to ban drivers from operating cell phones while behind the wheel, it should also ban bicyclists in the same way.

He said he operates his phone with a hands-free device.

"I don't think there's any need to ban hands-free operation," Goedde said.

The NTSB recommendation would apply even to hands-free devices.