INDIANAPOLIS (AP): A proposal that would ban motorists from using handheld cellphones on Indiana roads appears on its way to becoming law.

The Indiana Senate voted 43-4 Tuesday in favor of the bill that supporters say is aimed at making roadways safer by combating distracted driving. House members last month endorsed a similar version of the bill that would permit cellphone use only with hands-free or voice-operated technology, except in emergencies.

Bill sponsor Sen. Michael Crider of Greenfield says 21 other states with similar laws have seen reductions in the number of crashes and that the ban is “the right thing to do.”

Gov. Eric Holcomb has endorsed the ban.