New York state has moved another step closer to becoming the first state in the nation to ban the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving.

On Thursday the state Senate passed a bill that includes fines of up to $100 for violators.
According to the Associated Press, lawmakers decided to pass the legislation after a recent independent poll found that 87 percent of voters in the state favor such a ban. Such bans are already in place in some New York state counties.
Gov. George Pataki has already announced his support for the plan, which now awaits action in the General Assembly on Monday.
If passed and signed into law, the measure would go into effect the first of November, but violators would only get a verbal warning. Police would start ticketing a month later. From then until Feb. 1, violators could get tickets dismissed if they go to court and can produce a receipt for a hands-free mobile phone system.
Earlier this year, lawmakers in the Connecticut House of Representatives were the first state lawmaking body to pass similar legislation. However, the bill died in the hands of Senate committee. Opponents said the bill was too narrow, singling out only one type out of many driving distractions that can lead to crashes.