In 2007, nearly 700 bicyclists lost their lives in fatal accidents across the country - some involving other vehicles, others due to rider error. A large number of these fatal accidents occur in California, which has an exceptionally large biking community.

The question for many lawmakers is where to step in to make biking safer for riders in the state. Senator Joe Simitian, an attorney and former mayor of Palo Alto, believes part of the answer may lie in a familiar territory for California legislators - cell phone and texting bans.