[MissoulaGov] Powerful article on cell phone/texting while driving

[Jim Sayer]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/technology/19distracted.html?_r=1Drivers and Legislators Dismiss Cell Phone Risks
The gist (and thanks to Dave Strohmaier's efforts to get Missoula ahead of the curve on  texting and cell phone use in the car):

Extensive research
shows the dangers of distracted driving. Studies say that drivers using
phones are four times as likely to cause a crash as other drivers, and
the likelihood that they will crash is equal to that of someone with a
.08 percent blood alcohol level, the point at which drivers are
generally considered intoxicated. Research also shows that hands-free
devices do not eliminate the risks, and may worsen them by suggesting
that the behavior is safe. 

A 2003 Harvard
study estimated that cellphone distractions caused 2,600 traffic deaths
every year, and 330,000 accidents that result in moderate or severe
injuries.
Yet Americans have largely ignored that research.
Instead, they increasingly use phones, navigation devices and even
laptops to turn their cars into mobile offices, chat rooms and
entertainment centers, making roads more dangerous. 
A
disconnect between perception and reality worsens the problem. New
studies show that drivers overestimate their own ability to safely
multitask, even as they worry about the dangers of others doing it. 


      
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