When I read this report, which says that using a smartphone while driving can be more 
dangerous than drinking alcohol or using cannabis, I slapped my head and thought what a fool I’d been for not realising this for myself after all these years.
Not.
Apparently, it needed “research” by some comedians calling themselves the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) in order for this hitherto “unknown” fact to come to light.
I wish they’d stop calling these things “studies” and “research”. They are neither – not by a long way. It’s just some old geezer with absolutely nothing better to do stating the bloody obvious after reading something in Time, Readers Digest, or Saga Magazine.
THEY might not have known it, but I would imagine that most of the higher primates did. Jeez, even my cat knew.
What makes it worse is that the Americans have been having hysterics over this very subject for the past 12 months, and have done most of the “research” themselves (it’s not so bad when Americans do it, because it’s only what you’d expect), so the IAM can hardly claim to have “discovered” anything.
Yes, arseing about with your radio, mobile phone, music collection, laptop, TV, toaster, microwave oven, building Lego models, solving the Rubik’s Cube, or any other activity which takes your attention off the road is dangerous and stupid. It always has been, and always will be.
It’s like saying that you mustn’t put your hand in a running Flymo – but only after “research” – and then pretending no one knew up until then that it was stupid and dangerous.
This is currently top contender for the 2012 Statement Of The Bleeding Obvious awards.