By AP
Fort Campbell, KY – Fort Campbell has become the first Kentucky community to ban drivers from using hand-held cellular phones, citing safety concerns.
The ban takes effect September 22nd. Fort Campbell, with 25,000 soldiers and their 35,000 family members, will allow drivers to use cell phones only with headsets.
Passengers are allowed to talk on hand-held phones and the ban does not extend to soldiers once they're off post.
With the ban, Fort Campbell has joined anational debate over the use of cell phones.
New York, New Jersey and Washington, DC have banned rivers from using handheld phones and 17 other states have some type of restriction or accident-reporting requirement.
Last year, Kentucky enacted a law that bans local governments from restricting cell phone use in a motor vehicle, but it doesn't apply to military bases.