A complete ban on using cell phones in a car -- even the hands-free types?

That's what U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is weighing, Bloomberg reports. LaHood thinks motorists are so distracted by their cell phones that bans on texting don't go far enough.

There are already restrictions in 30 states, but LaHood goes much farther. He even has Ford's Sync in-car communications systems and General Motor's OnStar in his sights.

"I don't want people talking on phones, having them up to their ear or texting while they're driving," Bloomberg quotes LaHood as saying in an interview this week. "We need a lot better research on other distractions."

It will be interesting to see how far LaHood gets. Talking and driving have become ingrained for many people, and he could run into a buzz saw from automakers and auto dealers, both with powerful lobbies.