As The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported last week, motor vehicles fatalities in Georgia jumped by a third over the last two years. A big culprit, experts say: Drivers distracted by their cell phones.

House Bill 163 seeks to address the problem by requiring hands-free use of electronic devices. The bill cleared a subcommittee of the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday.

Its sponsor, state Rep. Betty Price, R-Roswell, told the committee distracted driving is a serious problem in the United States.

“We are talkers and texters in this country, and it’s getting us into some large trouble,” Price told the committee.

The bill passed unanimously. But similar bills have fail in the General Assembly in the past.

You can read more about rising motor vehicle fatalities here.