The problem of talking and texting while driving was put back into the spotlight yesterday as the National Transportation Safety Board called for an unprecedented nationwide ban on the use of cell phones and other devices by drivers, even hands-free technology.
Of course, this has been a known problem for quite a while — a battle between the law in many states and our societal addiction to staying in constant touch.
The real surprise in the NTSB recommendation is the push to ban the use even of hands-free devices for talking in the car, going further than existing legislation in Washington state and elsewhere around the country.
I’m a devoted user of the built-in hands-free calling technology through my stereo, and I’ve become disciplined about putting my phone in my pocket or keeping it out of reach when driving. Hands-free calling, to me, is similar to being engrossed in a radio show or a conversation with someone else in the car — not nearly as dangerous as retrieving a lost binky for the passenger in the back.
But the NTSB clearly feels strongly about this, and its recommendation is renewing the national discussion. Here’s our question: How are you doing with all of this? Vote in our poll below.
