BARRE, Vt. – No drinking, smoking, talking on the phone, combing your hair, or anything else besides driving that car, says a bill before the Vermont. With the success of passing cell-phone bans for drivers in some communities, states now are turning attention to other things that distract drivers.

Vermont lawmakers join other states in considering a measure making it illegal to eat, drink, smoke, read, write, groom oneself, talk on the phone, interact with pets, use any personal communication device or play an instrument while operating a motor vehicle, the Rutland Herald reports.

The punishment for violating such a law would be a fine of up to $600. Maryland and Texas are considering similar bills, and Connecticut passed a measure that generically forbids any activity that could interfere with the safe operation of a motor vehicle, the newspaper reports.

"Cell phones attracted people to this issue," Matt Sundeen, a transportation analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures, told the newspaper. "Now that people are more focused on distracted driving issues, they're beginning to talk about the broader range of distractions."

Distracted drivers were involved in nearly eight out of 10 collisions or near-crashes, according to a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study released last year by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.