WASHINGTON — A majority of cellphone users acknowledge they get irritated at other people for using cellphones in a public place.

The University of Michigan poll found that six in 10 users say that using a cellphone in public can be "a major irritation."

About four in 10 said there should a law that prohibits people from talking on cellphones in public places like museums, movie theatres and restaurants. Eight in 10 said cellphones are a major safety hazard if used while driving. But cellphone users also like the convenience that cellphones can bring.

About eight in 10 users said the phones have made their lives easier. By comparison, six in 10 e-mail users said e-mail has made their lives easier.

"These findings suggest Americans have mixed feelings about cellphone use," said Michael Traugott, a researcher at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research.

More than half said they liked all the information that is available to them because of new technology, while about one in 10 said they felt overwhelmed.

The poll of 752 adults was taken from March 3-10 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.