It’s already against the law in the District to send text messages or speak on a phone without a hands-free device, but the National Transportation Safety Board is pushing for an across-the-board ban on the use of electronic devices in cars.

According to the Post, today the NTSB became the first federal agency to call for an outright ban in the 50 states and the District, moving above and beyond laws aimed at cutting down on distracted driving.

While the NTSB has no power to impose or enforce any such laws, were the District to comply, it would have to prohibit all use of phones in cars, spare in emergency situations. Talking while driving has been against the law in D.C. since mid-2004, and you can also be pulled over for no offense other than sending or receiving text messages. (In some states, you need to break another law before you can be stopped and charged with texting while driving.)

In late September, the Examiner reported that the District had issued close to 11,000 tickets in 2011 for cell phone use, bringing in over $1 million in fines. The year prior, 13,000 tickets brought the city $1.1 million in revenue.