Mob Peeve

Yes, driving and talking or texting on cell phones could be just as bad as drunk driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (US) recently made their study from back in the 2002 and 2003 public. They have kept it under wraps mainly because "in part, officials say, because of concerns about angering Congress."

• Drivers talking on their cell phones are 4 time more likely to crash
• Drivers on phones are as likely to crash as a person with 0.8 blood alcohol content
• Estimated 12% of drivers are on their phones at any given time

As of June 2009 the following places have banned cell phone use while driving:

Australia

Austria

Bahrain

Belgium

Brazil

Newfoundland & Québec, Canada

Chile

China

Czech Republic

Denmark

Egypt

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hong Kong

Hungary

India - New Delhi

Ireland

Isle of Man

Israel

Italy

Japan

Jersey

Jordan

Kenya

Malaysia

Mexico City, Mexico

Netherlands

Norway

Islamabad, Pakistan

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Russia

Singapore

Slovak Republic

Slovenia

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

Switzerland

Taiwan

Thailand

Turkey

Turkmenistan

UK

Zimbabwe

USA (California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii (Oahu), Louisiana (minors, texting), Maine (learners), Minnesota (minors), New Jersey, New York, Oregon (minors), South Carolina (beginners permit), Virginia (minors), Washington

Talking or texting can cause serious, sometimes deadly, accidents - something we all need to start being more serious about.   

NY Times Full Article | Full NHTSA Document