The headline of the Jan. 11 editorial was “We need total ban on drivers using cellphones.”

As a highway safety professional for over half a century, I wholeheartedly agree. Research shows that a person talking on a cellphone, hands free or not, is distracted equally as much as a person operating while impaired by alcohol or other drugs, according to information I have received in publications from the National Transportation Safety Board, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and others.

Two examples happened to me a few days ago in Winthrop. I was traveling up Main Street on my way to the supermarket and, as I approached the intersection at the top of the hill, a woman talking on her cellphone blew through the stop sign right out in front of me, turned left and headed toward Augusta.

After doing my business, I returned down the hill and when pulling into the post office was met head-on by a young woman talking on her cellphone with a small child in a safety seat in back. The entrance is one way in, but she was headed out. I blew my horn to get her attention before she collided with me, and she made a hand gesture and refused to move her vehicle back. I had to reverse my direction, back out into Main Street traffic, so that she would move out of the way ,while still yapping on her phone.

I certainly hope that our governor’s highway safety representative is taking a hard look at this serious problem and developing legislation to address this serious highway safety issue.

Albert L. Godfrey Sr.

Winthrop