I see people everyday that should NEVER talk and drive...but others are fine. Im prone to talk on the phone if on long stretches of interstate or going to a familiar place. If Im in heavy traffic or in bad weather then Im better off not being on the phone at the same time. I need to keep my mind and eyes on the idiots around me!

Yeah, it is illegal in some states: Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia, and soon in California and Washington state, whose laws go into effect in 2008. They prohibit talking on a hand-held phone; you must do it hands-free, so you must have a headset. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have special cell phone restrictions for novice drivers; see them here. This year Washington became the first state to ban driving while texting. As the danger becomes recognized, these kinds of laws usually spread, sooooo . . . coming soon to a state near you. Wikipedia's fine article on it, which cites the many studies, says that legislation to restrict mobile phone use has been proposed in 40 states in the US. However, that's not the real problem; the real danger is the conversation itself, which causes inattention blindness. The conversation diverts your attention from what's going around you in traffic, causing accidents--you're four times more likely to cause an accident when talking on your phone, and research indicates that it's as dangerous as drunk-driving. Fatal crashes involving cell phone-using drivers are disproportionately high for "inattention" and typically involve drivers striking something in front of them or leaving their lane of traffic. Phone-conversing drivers have impaired reactions to vehicles braking in front of them, to crossing pedestrians, and to bicyclists. They are more likely to miss traffic signals and react to the signals that they do detect more slowly. Attention errors also are the most common factor in left-turn accidents. Some states, such as Utah and New Hampshire, treat cell phone use as this larger "distracted driving" issue. For a list of all states and how they treat the issue, as well as the more than thirty foreign countries that restrict it, look here.