Desi Tamasha

Yesterday, I read this article by Maureen Dowd, who, in turn, was quoting the hidden National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report on driving while on a cellphone:

Studies show that drivers who talk on cellphones are four times more likely to be in a crash and drive just as erratically as people with an 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level.

In one study cited by the highway safety agency, “drivers found it easier to drive drunk than to drive while using a phone, even when it was hands-free.”

The agency buried its head in the sand, keeping the research to itself for years and ignoring the fact that soon nearly all Americans would own cellphones and that the phones are always getting smarter and more demanding, putting a multimedia empire at your fingertips while you’re piloting a potentially lethal piece of artillery

I agreed with everything she wrote and swore to cut down drastically on my cellphone use while driving. This was yesterday. I even took action on it.

I had a 9:00am call this morning, and a 9:30am meeting. I decided to get up really early, start driving to my 9:30am meeting well in advance, reach my destination, and take the 9:00am call from the parking lot.

I did get up on time, but then I kept slipping, and slipping further, until it was 8:40am and I would have to take the 9:00am call on the phone after all. I was dreading the idea, but "didn't have a choice." I tempted fate.

Bang. Really loud bang and no idea where it came from. Except that I felt some impact on my thumb. I was switching between two calls and I had driven straight into the truck in front of me. The truck was unscathed, but my car is hurt rather badly.

I need a more drastic solution. The cellphone will go into the backpack and the backpack will go into the trunk of the car. No exceptions. Wish I'd done this a day sooner.
Link