Gov. Joe Manchin engages in self-deprecating humor when the topic of using a hand-held cell phone while trying to drive arises.

By his own admission, the governor is among the worst offenders when it comes to chatting away on a cell phone out in traffic, an act that some safety experts see as a distraction that can lead to accidents.

“I can’t even talk while I’m driving,” Manchin told The Register-Herald editorial board last week.

“I try to dial numbers. They won’t even let me drive anymore. They’re scared to death when I get out of this office that I’ll start driving again and really cause a problem.”

Manchin acknowledged some “close calls” while trying to find the right buttons to push in dialing up while driving and checking to see if he hit the correct ones.

But as far as specifics in any possible cell phone legislation, the governor says he hasn’t made up his mind.

“Some legislators asked me my opinion on it,” he said. “It makes sense to me. I’m the one who is as guilty as anybody.”

Manchin doesn’t attempt to text in traffic but often reaches for the wireless to punch in a call — an act that would become illegal in at least one proposal this year before the Legislature.

Already, the Senate has one in the works, a carryover bill that Sen. Jesse Guills, R-Greenbrier, originally sponsored.

Guills is the lead sponsor on SB131 and has recruited the support of two colleagues, Sens. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, and Clark Barnes, R-Randolph, in seeking a total ban on handheld wireless telephones while operating a motor vehicle.

Their bill would exempt any motorist who employs either a headset or a phone equipped with a speaker system to handle calls.

Anyone violating the prospective law would be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum $100 fine. A second conviction in less than year would fetch a fine of up to $200. Third and subsequent violations would bring a penalty of up to $500.

Infractions wouldn’t put any points on drivers’ licenses.

In the House, Delegate Nancy Guthrie, D-Kanawha, likewise is contemplating a cell phone measure, but says she wants to see what Manchin has in mind before crafting a bill.

One that she offered in a recent legislative session would have allowed some exceptions, such as an emergency along the highway.

Research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates motorists talking on cell phones are four times more likely to be in an accident that lead to serious injury or death.

That study showed 21 percent of fatal highway crashes involving motorists from 16 to 19 involved cell phones, and that statistic is apt to increase 4 percent annually.

“As a member of our Transportation and Infrastructure Committee charged with keeping our roadways safe, I can’t ignore these statistics,” Barnes said Friday.

“We should do everything we can to address negligent driving and save lives on our state’s highways.”

— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com