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Would you get in your car and drive after having four drinks? Statistics show that talking on the phone or texting while driving is just as dangerous as driving drunk.  Driving while distracted is a growing peril in a nation reluctant to put down its cell phones and handheld devices even behind the wheel, the Obama administration declared. Officials said Congress and the public must team up to reduce the danger. Opening a two-day meeting to find ways to reduce drivers' use of mobile devices, the Transportation Department reported that nearly 6,000 people were killed and a half-million were injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to driver distraction. That includes drivers talking on cell phones and texting.  "To put it plainly, distracted driving is a menace to society," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. "Distracted driving is an epidemic and it seems to be getting worse every year."

CAN YOU BELIEVE...

Road Rage: A Prevalent Problem Study participants indicated that road rage is an important issue. Almost all participants stated that they had witnessed road rage on Alabama's roadways. However, most said that they had not been a victim of road rage. Most male and female participants felt they were frequently aggravated and put at risk by other drivers' actions. Only the 16-24 age group indicated that they do drive aggressively; other age groups responded affirmatively when surveyed about their driving practices and encounters with aggressive drivers. When participants said that they did drive aggressively, they claimed they did so for good reason. Fifty percent of the surveyed females in the 75-year-old and up age group felt that any means to defend themselves in a road rage incident is acceptable. The causes of road rage remain debatable, but some possible explanations are summer heat, traffic congestion, faster pace of life, and general lack of common courtesy. Other possible causes are job stress, the driving practices of sport-utility drivers, and the use of cell phones. In each age group, the participants favored strong enforcement of traffic laws to reduce road rage. Most felt aggressive driving goes unpunished. According to the study, most people were undecided who they believe is most often targeted by aggressive male and female drivers. However, there was little support that males targeted females and females targeted males with their aggression. A slightly higher number felt that females targeted other females. Alabama ranks third in the nation in the number of deaths per mile traveled at 13.7 deaths per 100,000 miles. Violent behavior is often a result of a particular mindset: not wanting to waste time, blocking the competition, and punishing the other driver. The latter often leads to road rage.