Driving is for driving

There’s a great story in today’s New York Times about the dangers of using a cell phone and other electronic gadgets in the car.

Despite my voicemail message saying, “I’m unavailable or driving,” I still use the cell phone occasionally while behind the wheel, at red lights.

What doesn’t surprise me is research like this, quoted in the article:

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.

To make the case against using a cell phone in the car, University of Utah psychology professor Dave Strayer, one of the leading researchers on the effects of cell phone use while driving said in a release:

At the end of the day, the average person’s commute is longer because of that person who is on the cell phone right in front of them… That SOB on the cell phone is slowing you down and making you late.

Want another reason to forget making calls in the car altogether? Strayer’s team previously concluded that hands-free calls are no less dangerous while driving, because “the conversation itself is the major distraction.”

Somewhat ironic is that the New York Times is also running a story about how Funkmaster Flex customizes cars, and how it’s more about creating a “digital playground”:

There’s the obligatory DVD entertainment system, and also an Xbox 360 video-game machine with dual screens for dueling players. Also included is a Sprint wireless AirCard to deliver Web access on the road, making it easy to download music from the online Zune Marketplace. There’s even a Slingbox player so that you can remotely control and watch live TV shows from your home television beamed to the car over the Web.

Anyhow, the paper also created a (fun) online game to go along with the distracted driving story, which you can try out here.

[via New York Times, University of Utah]