At a news conference Wednesday morning, several lawmakers said driving with a screen in your hand can be just as dangerous as driving drunk. Just like DUI laws, they said, making it illegal to hold a phone while driving will eventually change Virginians’ behavior behind the wheel.

Del. Mike Mullin, D-Newport News, one of the legislation’s sponsors, said that when he was driving back to Richmond on Sunday, he saw another motorist playing the video game “Clash of Clans” on an iPad.

“Not a phone. An iPad. And that’s not unusual,” Mullin said. “This is something that we’re seeing with greater frequency on a daily basis. And people are dying.”

Traffic crashes and fatalities have been rising in Virginia for several years, but the numbers don’t show record highs. In 2014, Virginia saw 120,282 crashes and 700 traffic deaths, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation. By 2017, the numbers had risen to 127,375 crashes and 843 deaths.

Drive Smart Virginia, a safe driving nonprofit backing the hands-free phone bill, said distracted driving was the cause of nearly a quarter of traffic fatalities last year.

The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association support the legislation.