Rarely do I use this space as my personal soapbox … but then again, this is my blog and this topic does involve my iPhone so I’m going for it.
Have you seen the new initiative that Oprah is pushing? It’s to get us all to stop texting and talking on the phone in our cars.  While I’m totally with you on the texting (which I never do while moving, only sitting at stoplights or in dead-stopped traffic) I just can’t agree to not talk on my cell phone in my car.  Now, Oprah, you’ve gone too far.

So of course, on her show, she brings out experts that compare the data on people who drive drunk and people who drive while talking on the phone and the rate of accidents for both.  While I do believe that there are plenty of people who are not capable of holding a conversation and driving (you know who you are), I think that what they taught me in statistics in college is still true: You can make numbers prove anything that you want.

So Oprah wants you to not talk on the phone in your car – the theory? It distracts you.  I can tell you for damn sure that I’m more concentrated on my phone while I’m talking to my parents than I am when the kids are in the car.  So, are you going to outlaw driving with passengers?  Because I can get into a heated discussion with my passenger (whether it’s a 2 or a 20 year old) and become distracted … so if you’re going to draw this line in the sand, you’re going to have to tell me where it ends.  No more books on tape, singing to the radio, or reading billboards – you could lose total control of your car, after all.

And if a phone call distracts you, then god forbid you carpool with several people.  You’d get to talking and veer right into the center divider, according to Oprah.

I’m all for the no texting, please don’t text and drive.  And if you can’t walk and chew gum, perhaps you shouldn’t drive and talk on the phone.   But the logic behind this campaign of Oprah’s is seriously flawed – everyone is too busy patting themselves on the back to notice.