Here is the beginning of Maureen Dowd's column in today's New York Times. Check out the whole column in the NYT.

One night several years ago, my mom slipped and broke a bone in her neck. I stayed late at the hospital with her. Driving home on a mostly deserted road, I checked my cellphone messages.

I didn't notice either the red light coming up or the car stopped at the light. I banged into the back of it, and even though the damage was minor, it was a scary moment.

I admitted that I was upset and distracted, took the blame and swore to myself I'd never use a cellphone in a car again. But, of course, I did. D.C. police will pull you over if they see you using a cellphone that you're holding up to your ear, but not if you're hands-free.

Ominously, research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration -- suppressed for years and released on Tuesday after petitions were filed by advocacy groups -- shows that there are "negligible differences" in accident risk whether you're holding the phone or not. Hands-free devices may even enhance the danger by lulling you into complacency.