All of a sudden, a truck pulls out from the shoulder and the forward collision-warning system starts beeping. While trying to scan headlines on a dash-mounted computer screen, the cell phone rings. So do one out of six drivers who take the test. Some don't answer the phone. Others ignore the Internet or can't remember what they read.
Many state are concerned about cell phones in particular.
Eleven now ask patrol officers to determine if the phones were factors in traffic accidents. Thirty-seven states have considered curbs on cell phones in moving vehicles since 1995. Each drove the simulator about 45 minutes, covering about 21 virtual miles. Most did well, with little difference between men and women, Spelt said. But just because 90 percent of the population can cope doesn't mean it is the right way to do it.