Distractions come from a variety of sources!! Why focus on mobile phones? Note the name ­ MOBILE PHONE. Please get it. Why not start a campaign against car theft, road rage, high-speed police chases, driving too fast, reckless operation, listening to Car Talk while driving (this can lead to uncontrolled hysterical laughter causing loss of vehicle control), or other practices surely more dangerous than the simple distraction of holding a phone to your head. Please stop harassing honest people.

Mark

It has been suggested that cell-phone usage contributes to only a small percentage of driver distractions and is no more distracting than say... drinking a cup of coffee. But I see a big difference. Many cell-phone users are talking business and doing what? Lying!

Lying requires concentration. Try this test at your desk. Sit there drinking a cup of coffee while doing some other task, like staring at a calendar. No problem right? Now pick up the call from that irate customer who wants to know why their car isn't ready after you promised you would have the repairs completed a week ago. Not so simple, right?

Frank

If I remember correctly, you advocated extending legislation to prohibit the use of hands-free phones also. Excellent suggestion, gentlemen! I am glad that you recognize our elected government's duty to reign in the ignorant and incompetent masses and impose strict constraints on their behavior.

Martin

In the October 2001 edition of Scientific American there is an article on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain. A sidebar states, "When people try to do two dissimilar tasks at once, such as comprehending speech and visualizing an object rotating in space, the amount of brain activity devoted to each task is less than if the tasks were tackled separately -- so rules against using a cell phone while driving have a neurological basis."

As far as I am concerned that is point, game, set, and match for a total ban on cell-phone use while driving.

Terry

It is not the cell phone itself that is the culprit but the person using it. I would suggest that an emotional or angry person having a serious discussion on a cell phone, or a person in the back seat, is more of a threat to safety than the mere use of the cell phone generally.

The act of dialing the phone is somewhat distracting, but so is eating on the run, tuning the radio, finding the cigarette that just fell from your fingers, and a whole lot of other things. What about all of those billboards and other things that use sexy girls and other eye catchers to take your eyes off of the road?

Doc

I say let the automakers wire up cars! Create all the distractions they can! Then, when a few dozen people get killed, sue them. The compensatory damages won't be too impressive, but if tobacco litigation has taught us anything, it's that punitive damages stink! Once some automaker's had a couple divisions sued into oblivion, the problem should go away.

Daniel