FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Ernie Fletcher of Kentucky earlier this month signed an amendment to current law that bans school bus drivers from using cell phones while the bus is in motion and transporting one or more children.

An exception allows phone calls to the school transportation department when the bus is not equipped with a two-way radio. Drivers will also be allowed to use cell phones in the event of an emergency.

The first violation is punishable with a $50 fine, followed by a $100 fine plus a six month loss of the driver’s school bus license for the second violation.

The bill was drafted in response to a crash that left two students critically injured. The driver was allegedly under the influence of drugs and talking on her cell phone while driving.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a report last November on a non-fatal motorcoach accident in which a driver drove his bus into a bridge while talking on a hands-free cell phone.

The NTSB concluded that the driver’s cell phone distraction caused the accident and recommended that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and state governments prohibit CDL holders from using cell phones while driving buses.