Distracted drivers are being called a menace on U.S. roads. (Associated Press)

Distracted driving is a "menace to society," the U.S. transportation secretary said as he kicked off a two-day meeting Wednesday on preventing drivers from using mobile devices behind the wheel.

The U.S. administration reported that nearly 6,000 people in the U.S. were killed and 500,000 injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to driver distraction, including drivers talking on cellphones and texting.

"To put it plainly, distracted driving is a menace to society," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told more than 300 participants at the government's 'distracted driving summit' in Washington, D.C.

"Distracted driving is an epidemic and it seems to be getting worse every year."

The Transportation Department brought together experts to take a hard look at the highway hazards caused by drivers talking on cellphones or texting from behind the wheel. LaHood said he would offer recommendations Thursday that could lead to new restrictions on using the devices while driving.

Congress is watching closely.

Senator Charles Schumer and other Democrats introduced legislation in July that would require states to ban texting or emailing while operating a moving vehicle or lose 25 per cent of their annual federal highway funding. The U.S. administration has not taken a position on the bill.

'Valuable lesson'

Prior to the meeting, LaHood said the administration would "work with Congress" to develop ways of curbing distracted driving. Ultimately, LaHood said, he wanted the meeting to set "the stage for finding ways to eliminate texting while driving."

Previous efforts to reduce drunken driving and encourage motorists to wear seatbelts taught the government a "valuable lesson," LaHood said. "We need a combination of strong laws, tough enforcement and ongoing public education to make a difference."

Transportation officials said in a research report that 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 were injured last year in crashes where at least one form of driver distraction was reported. Driver distraction was involved in 16 per cent of all fatal crashes in 2008.

LaHood said on any given day last year, more than 800,000 vehicles were driven by someone using a hand-held cellphone during the day.

The panel of government officials, safety advocates, researchers and lawmakers discussed ways of developing a consensus on the roadway hazards. Speakers showed images of pulverized sport utility vehicles and sawed off commercial buses that had been driven by people using mobile devices before the crash.

Others noted the problem was not limited to cars and cited a commuter train engineer in California, who texted a friend and failed to stop at a red signal. Twenty-five people were killed in the September 2008 passenger rail crash.