There is no question that there is a direct correlation between distracted driving and accidents. It really doesn't even take a study for you to know that must be true. It doesn't matter what that distraction is, it's bad.
It is even a distraction if you are talking to a passenger while driving. Have you ever seen the car weaving down the road with the husband and wife quite obviously having an argument in the car? I've seen that quite a few times. My own brother is terrible when talking while driving. His attention to the road and traffic is very clearly impaired. I try not to talk to him when he's driving. The problem is he focuses his attention on the subject of discussion to too high a degree.
It isn't easy to enforce laws about distracted driving. You can in fact by stopped and ticketed for driving with a cup of coffee in your hand if the police choose to enforce the law. But how practical is that?
However, when car manufacturers start adding things that specifically encourage distracted driving, why can't that be legislated against? If you are old enough, you might remember cars that came with NO cup holders. Now people complain if they won't hold their jumbo drink cup. They are an accepted norm and it would probably hurt sales of a car if it came without any.
Now you see the ads on tv for cars with a smartphone docking station, USB ports on the dash, the best Bluetooth connectivity of any car and my favourite, an ad for a car boasting it comes with the biggest LCD display of any make of car. If you think about it, what they are saying is 'hey, we will help you become distracted from your real job of driving the car.
I am 100% with the NTSB on this one when they advocate a 100% ban.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/246202/n ... e_ban.html
Their example is eye opening. "The NTSB's recent recommendations were inspired by a multivehicle accident in Gray Summit, Mo., in August 2010. The accident claimed the lives of two people and 38 others were injured. The driver of the pickup truck that caused the accident sent and received 11 text messages during the 11 minutes leading up to the crash. The last text message was received moments before the collision." That is 40 people's lives impacted all because one asshole was texting.
The phone and car manufacturers could easily add a Bluetooth connection function to every phone and car that disables your phone when you get in your car. But they won't do it unless they are forced to do it by legislation. Yes people will scream, just like so many screamed when seat belts became mandatory in cars. Sometimes though laws need to be passed that protect people from themselves and if not to protect themselves, protect ME from those people.