Thursday, September 15, 2005

"Hang on a minute while I cut off this station wagon..."

Here's a link to a Globe & Mail story about new evidence corroborating what many people secretly know, but don't wish to acknowledge: talking on a cellphone while driving increases your chances of causing an accident.

And don't think those hands-free devices help. According to writer Richard Russell, "The oft-repeated answer of using a hands-free device is nothing more than an extension of that distraction, one that creates an opportunity to talk more often and for longer periods -- heightening the risk, and the length of time at risk."

I've always looked at any attempt to ban cellphone use while driving (as they do in New York State, among others) as a direct assault on entrepreneurs.
I believe the entrepreneurial revolution of the 1980s owes much to the simultaneous development of the cellphone, which allowed entrepreneurs to multiply their effectiveness by exerting greater control over operations while they were physically absent (i.e., in the car). And entrepreneurs spend a lot of time in their cars.

Would bans on phoning while driving affect your business? Given the evidence, would such a ban be fair?
Let me know what you think by clicking on "Comment", below...

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