No, It Isn't Your Imagination

There is a good article in the Wall Street Journal called Car Makers Test Technology to Make You Pay Attention to the Road by By ELIZABETH DWOSKIN and  MIKE RAMSEY March 11, 2016 

Just in case on your drive to work you thought everyone around you was on a cell phone or texting someone, you can get solace in finding out that they are.  The other comforting thing was they are more likely to have an accident than you are, assuming you aren't driving and texting too.  The surprise is that there are worse things you can do in a car than text.  The data comes from Virginia Tech, where a lot of good data does come from.

Dialing a phone and reading text are more than twice as likely to cause an accident than talking on the phone, which only causes you to become an obstruction to anyone who is behind you.  That lady who slows down to 35 in a 55 mph zone is not going to be in the accident but she will cause it.  Texting itself is not quite so dangerous as reading texts sent to you.

It should occur to you that driving and doing any of these things is not very safe.  I hope you aren't reading this one on the way to work.  A woman next to me yesterday was eating a sandwich with both hands, but that turns out to be fairly safe compared to some of the other things.  The safest behavior is something called "personal hygiene".  That guy shaving on the way in, or the woman putting on lipstick, doesn't have to worry quite so much anymore.

Technology is supposed to make your life better, but cell phones in cars are only good if you actually use the hands-free features of your car.  We actually had to get the Audi dealer to pair our phones the first time because the instructions were not very clear.  We found it difficult to eat that sandwich and hold the phone up to our ears, without the hands-free working.