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I wish the testing described in this article had used airline pilots, policemen, and other people who are accustomed to operating their machines while carrying on a conversation. Cell phones are new, and perhaps all that is needed is time for drivers to train themselves in multitasking.

Mike Kuzara
Wyarno, Wyo.

Shortly after reading the article, I received a phone call from a friend. While talking, I realized that I was vaguely imagining her surroundings. I think the answer to why carrying on a conversation on a cell phone while driving is apparently far more distracting than a conversation with a passenger has to do with being present in the moment: The cell phone conversation draws some part of one’s attention to another place, time, and experience.

Carol Bowles-Tyndale
Colorado Springs, Colo.