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WASHINGTON — Opening a government meeting on auto safety, the Obama administration reported Wednesday that nearly 6,000 people were killed and a half-million injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to driver distraction, a striking indication of the dangers of using mobile devices behind the wheel. The Transportation Department was bringing together experts over two days for what it's calling a "distracted driving summit" to take a hard look at the highway hazards caused by drivers talking on cell phones or texting from behind the wheel. Secretary Ray LaHood was expected to offer recommendations Thursday that could lead to new restrictions on using the devices while driving...

Microsoft Inc. plans to unveil its latest version of Microsoft Auto 4.0, the software platform for Ford Motor Co.’s Sync technology, today at two information technology trade shows in Germany. It should be available this spring...

To set the scene... a traffic light in a sweeping left hand bend in the road. The road coming from the right at the intersection has a right turn lane like an exit ramp, so the shoulder is very wide just past the light and there's just a solid white line marking the right edge of the lane for about 100 yards before a curb swoops in from the right  to create of normal width shoulder on the road...

It's a new age version of the CB radio but I bet we don't get any good songs or movies out of it this time. Move over radar detector. There's a new tool in town...

Maybe it's my age, but I have yet to be overcome by the cell phone addiction that seems to affect almost everyone I see out in public. And I'm not sure that addiction is a strong enough word since cell phone use seems to be some sort of pathological condition. I don't understand the need to be in constant communication with someone all the time...