cell phones are a bane. Sorry, but I have had too many misses from them and not from short minis or apple eaters. Buddy was creamed at about 10mph by one, right after he had dressed up his 900SS. Generally, no matter what the conditions (I agree that circumstances are a big part of our driving), cell phone use has been a big problem for me personally far far too many times both here in Japan and in the US. I have also been hit by a bicycle (the guy was texting at night!), pedestrians, a woman pushing a pram, as well as gobs of near misses. Convenience is one thing, but when you hit people at any and all speeds with a variety of vehicles and modes of movement, I don't think it is the driving skills at all. It is that momentary loss of concentrattion that is part and parcel of the technology and when I am on a bike or bicycle, I would rather folks dispense with the convenience regardless of the circumstances.
Frankly, there are some drivers who concentrate and some (many) who don't. Whatever the distraction, there will be someone who basically "checks out" of driving and becomes more interested in the distraction. Illegal or immoral, the consequences are high risk.
Anyway, seeing as how the Governemnt is aiming to monitor every vehicle it won't be long before the GPS chips are implanted in the driver. First to monitor what they are doing...... and then to control them....................aaargh!
Scary people in Government y'know. Just off to my bunker in the backwoods of Montana to organise the rebellion.
I'd see all phone use in vehicles banned, end of story and less ****s not paying attention to their driving. Lorry drivers are some of the worst offenders and they are driving a vehicle with massive killing potential. Elbow steering and watching portable televisions while driving are other examples you regularly see and they are supposedly "professionals" !!