Do you fight the itch to chat on your cell phone while driving? Considering how connected we are these days, it can be difficult to put down the cell phone and consistently wrap both hands around the steering wheel. I try to avoid using a cell phone in heavy traffic, but sometimes the phone rings or I impulsively make a call. When dialing on the freeway, I'm the first to head over to the right lane and slow down -- a "safety move" intended to justify the call. I rarely pass anyone and just stay right.

Turns out I might want to think twice about that rationalization. A new study reveals motorists yacking away on cell phones slow everybody's commute. They drive slower, make less lane changes to pass and take longer to get to their destination. Just two or three guilty parties can trigger freeway congestion and subsequent delays for all. Let alone statistics suggest motorists on cell phones are four times more likely to be involved in an accident.

This news will make me think twice next time I reach for the phone in traffic. Now that open stretch of desolate highway in Big Sky Montana ... that's a different story.

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