Ford Motor Co. said today it is endorsing a federal ban on hand-held cell phone calls by drivers — becoming the first automaker to do so.

The Dearborn automaker said it is supporting a bill introduced last month by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y.Pete Lawson, Ford's vice president of government affairs, said the company is backing the bill "because it represents a practical, common sense approach to a national problem."

Ford has been eager to protect its in-vehicle technologies — such as Sync and MyFord Touch — that allow drivers to make hands-free calls and receive or send some limited text messages orally.

Just nine states and the District of Colombia have barred the use of hand-held cell phones by drivers, reported The Detroit News. The Governors Highway Safety Association last week told states that haven't banned their use to hold off until further research is completed.

Ford has taken other steps to reduce distracted driving. The automaker has been concerned about efforts by some to crack down on in-vehicle technologies that allow drivers to make and receive hands-free cell phone calls.

"Research conducted in labs and on roads shows that activity drawing drivers' eyes away from the road — whether text messaging, manually dialing a cell phone or reading maps — substantially increases the risk of an accident or near misses,"Lawson said. "Ford believes hands-free, voice-activated technology significantly reduces that risk by allowing drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road."

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has urged drivers not to use hand-held phones behind the wheel and raised concerns about cognitive distractions from calls. But he won't recommend any restrictions on hands-free calls until the government completes extensive research.

"When you look at your BlackBerry for four seconds, you are driving the length of a football field without watching the road. And when you talk on your cell phone, you tell your brain it's OK to devote your primary attention to something other than your driving," LaHood wrote on a government blog last year.

General Motors Co. bars employees driving company cars from using a hand-held cell phone behind the wheel and has supported Oprah Winfrey's efforts to crack down on hand-held cell phone use.