Without accurate data your analysis is worth exactly that. Use common sense not misleading information to get the truth. I’ve been with “responsible” drivers on cell phone/text messaging, and I’ve witnessed the errors grow exponentially, even without an accident. Black Swans are growing quickly around us even though many can’t see them.

The number of people since 1990 directly killed by airbags in the USA is only a few hundred. (These are low-speed collisions, where airbag deployment ends up snapping necks, or whatever. There are other arguments that suggest that on balance airbags are killing more people than they save, but I digress.)

That’s about 300 deaths (say) in a field of about half a million other car-accident fatalities.

Note that in one year, this lady, babe in arms, has a ~1:40000 chance of being killed by a car … should she develop the habit of simply walking down the street.

Jack: I saw the interview with her and wasn’t amazed as most drivers think using cell phones while driving is fine.

I run the risk of the wrath of the blogger here, but honestly, we need to consider the plain facts.

Hundreds of millions of drivers are occasionally using their phones while behind the wheel. In the vast majority of use, nothing horrible happens. Is it that much of a stretch for these people to conclude there is “no problem”? In one year, the probability of being killed while in a car is ~1:10000. Let’s say that while blabbing on the phone, the risk of death jumps by a factor of 10. If people drive for one hour a day, and they answer or make a call that lasts one minute, then the relative risk is going to be about 69/60 = 1.15(*). This takes your ~1:10000 down to about 1:8500.

Now, knowing that incredible numbers of people die in cars simply because of all the drunks out there, and that issues like driver fatigue are a close second, is getting all excited about the elevated risk of answering a phone something to be truly concerned about?

(*) Note that a 15% increase would be easily observed in fatality statistics. That such observations are lacking suggests this estimate is far too high.

John: I hope she gets every second of a 180-day sentence.

You would throw a mother in jail for six months — in effect, converting her failure to have an accident, injure or kill someone into certain misery for her children and family?

I can’t sugar-coat it: this is just plain nuts.

Are there any studies about the “lifestyle habits” that people undertake in their cars? For instance, studies that compare people who tend to only drive their car and maybe adjust the radio to people who eat in their car/shave/apply makeup/open the mail/etc.?

I tend to only use my car to get me from point a to point b, but I’ll sometimes go to lunch with a co-worker and look around and notice all kinds of accoutrement in their car… books, magazines, nail clippers, junk mail, food, etc. that suggests they treat their car as a kind of mobile office/living room.