There is nothing more irritating than watching someone blab away on their cell phone while driving.

I wonder: how ever did the human race survive without cell phones?

It's bad enough that cell phones ring out in restaurants and movie theaters, but there is a huge difference between discourteous and dangerous.

I've often heard it argued that talking on the phone is no different than talking to a passenger. But that's a bogus argument, as studies show the part of the brain that controls vision becomes less active when people are having a phone conversation. In fact, studies indicate that hands-free cell phones don't really lower the risk of having an accident.

Consider that a person on a phone can't see the body language of the person on the other end of the line. As a result, the brain is already working overtime to fill in the gaps. So when it comes to talking on the phone while driving, the human brain cannot effectively complete both processes at the same time.

Scientists at the University of Kansas showed that observers engaged in a verbal task have a limited spatial attention window, becoming less aware of incoming visual cues. And University of Utah psychologists have published a study showing that motorists who talk on handheld or hands-free cellular phones are as impaired as drunken drivers.

But this is old news. These and similar studies go back to 2005.

But despite laws prohibiting the use of hand-held cell phones while driving, many people still feel free to break the rules. And I don't understand why. I mean, what could be so important that it can't wait for you to pull over on the shoulder, or into a parking lot? It boggles my mind.

And since no one seems to be taking the law very seriously, state police will be out in full force this week. “Operation Hang Up: II” is an initiative that police say is absolutely necessary to ensure safe roadways and adherence to a life-saving law. Police will use unmarked vehicles during the four-day period, in addition to regular trooper cars, to enforce a zero-tolerance policy. Anybody caught breaking the law should expect to receive a ticket.

The only downfall is that a ticket for talking on your cell phone runs about $100 - hardly enough bread to intimidate the public. I think the next initiative should be to up the penalty. Maybe then people would start taking the law a little more seriously.

Estabrook's column appears Mondays in The Citizen and she can be reached at estabrookcarole@yahoo.com.