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I can both respond to texts and phone calls and never, ever take my hands off the wheel with my phone and car audio system. The phone interacts with the audio system to allow me to initiate and answer calls without the need to even look at the phone screen. Everything is through audio prompts and my vocal response. Text replies are handled by dictating into the audio system, and phone translates my words into text (Windows Phone Mango). So, now, am I in the same category as the others to whom you are referring?

Most of the data that is always quoted about highway statistics makes no distinction as to whether the person using the cell phone was using a hands-free device or not, or whether they were texting or answering a phone call. So, much like the debate over drugs in this country, we don't seem to want to talk about behaviors, but rather to simply set universal policies that deal with everything in that category in exactly the same way. (There is a limited set of data that deals with the concept of hands-free driving safety that does conclude that it does distract the driver more than an in-car discussion, but the data is limited, and there is no connection to whether the difference is meaningful in actual on-road driving).

So, the real question should be, do we ban ALL distractions (and yes, I believe that includes in-car stereos, the DVD systems that are so very popular with the mini-van set (have you ever seen the driver performing advanced gymnastics moves trying to retrieve or change the DVD the toddlers are watching while hurtling down the road at 70 MPH?), GPS devices with screens or keyboards, eating at the wheel, etc.), or do we really investigate which technologies result in strong reductions to distraction and promote them with the manufacturers?

Additionally, suppose that 10,000 people died last year while the driver was leaning over, adjusting the radio dial or the volume or changing the CD. Could an accident investigator tell? We have absolutely no data on what risk for accident fatalities any activity represents in
driving today, except for alcohol and drug use, and speeding. Again, the scant research that has been done is not real-world testing, uses a very distinct subset of drivers, and has not been validated against accident statistics (because there aren't any).

Personnally, I am all for safety. I actually like the speed limit restrictions that we have been promoting and then repealing repeatedly in the last thirty or forty years. But banning cell phones on the road is silly. It is a draconian measure that doesn't actually address the problem. The problem isn't the technology, it is in how we use it, and how we accomodate the changes in our own interactions. Some of that we can design around and come up with products that circumvent a lot of the problems that arise.

But a lot of it is behavioral. It is in HOW we use the technology. We don't even do drivers' education in any meaningful way any longer. We need to get back to better behavior behind the wheel, and I mean that in more ways than just technology use. Until we get serious about educating people on driving and what things constitute focussed driving, we will have this problem with ALL technology.