[00accord44]

Wow, great thread and great piece up top Swigz! I generally agree that drivers shouldn't be diverting their attention from the road while in motion, but to attempt to eliminate all distractions is just unrealistic. Certainly, some distractions are stronger than others (RH comes to mind) and texting is probably the top of that list for both frequency and negative impact. However, state and/or federal government will never be able to legislate away the root cause of most accidents, the irresponsible driver.

Just as with distractions, there are varying degrees of innate irresponsibility amongst drivers. I am certain that all of us have been guilty of an irresponsible episode at one time in our driving careers. That can be as simple as speeding along on the freeway, or as unforgivable as a drunk driving collision. Sh!t happens, but how many times do you let it happen??

I think it is important to draw a distinction between being a bad driver and an irresponsible one. Being "bad" or "good" at driving is (imo) indicative of your mental capacity to observe your driving environment and make proper decisions at speed. However, having that capacity does not mean it is always utilized. Some people have a VERY limited capacity to both observe and act (rather than just react) while driving, but they can attempt to make up for that by being extremely cautious and responsible. I believe that some of the most irresponsible drivers are the good ones... myself included in my younger days.

Those who are most confident in their abilities are usually the most willing to take risks because they feel like they are always in control. That feeling of control and sometimes invincibility are part of what fuels skilled drivers to push farther. Unfortunately, humans notoriously overestimate their abilities in all areas. The more you overestimate, the faster it is likely to catch up to you.

Relating back to the specific topic at hand, I believe that the majority of drivers who allow themselves to be distracted by their phones (especially texters) are fully confident that they are "good" enough drivers to avoid any pitfalls while sending out their "LOL"s and "K"s. Like Moppie said, its hard to fully appreciate the speed at which life happens while you drive, and until self-proclaimed good drivers experience an accident (regardless of cause) they are likely to mitigate their fears of the millions of variables that could result in a very skilled driver having a very bad accident.

Until the government figures out a way to ban stupidity and irresponsibility, then I don't think the issue of distracted driving will get any better. Advances in technology are what made it possible for us to be distracted in so many ways, and I believe technology is the only way to fight back against those distractions. HUDs are a start, but not very common in passenger vehicles. Smart auto makers will invest R&D into developing features that allow drivers to engage in distractions, but help reduce the dangers inherent to them. Talk-to-text being integrated with Bluetooth/HUD technology has to be on the horizon. jdmcc, I think your idea about the cell phones cutting off while the car is in motion is a great one in principle, but sadly, the majority of the cell phone buying community would revolt and kill the technology by not supporting it with their wallets. A good idea in today's world is only as good as the number of people willing to pay for it.