The well-known talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey has embarked upon a “No Phone Zone” campaign against ‘texting and cellphone use while driving’; with Friday - the ‘No Phone Zone Day’ – witnessing rallies, supporting the cause, in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

To further give her endeavors a push, Winfrey said during an appearance on ‘Good Morning America’: “My plea is to recognize that really it is an addiction. Look, five years ago, 10 years ago we weren't doing this. We used to drive in our cars and reach the destination; think about what we had to do once we got to the destination or think about our lives just driving was enough. And I think driving still is enough.”

With the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics revealing that distracted driving resulted in almost 6000 fatal accidents and 500,000 injuries during 2008, six US states already have banned ‘texting and cellphone use while driving’; while 21 states have a ‘texting while driving’ ban in place.

That Winfrey’s cause is a noble one is evident from the fact that nearly 250,000 viewers – out of the almost 6.7 million viewers - of the ‘Oprah Winfrey Show’ have signed the pledge to avoid texting and cellphone use while driving, and help raise awareness about the perils of distracted driving.