Logbook

Several people have heard my rant/commentary about this subject, and after seeing the following article I was planning on commenting and inflicting it on the rest of the world... but it is late and I am currently tired, so I will just post this link and suggest people read it.
Hand-held, hands-free - bad call.

As far as I understand, it isn't how many things you are trying to do with your hands, but how many things you are trying to do with your brain. You only have so much attention. Conversation involves your brain and does take some of your attention (no matter what the topic), whether on phone (hands held or free) or with other people in the car etc. Yes, conversations with passengers takes a bit of your concentration, but the distraction is compensated for to a certain extent if the passenger you are talking to is aware of the driving environment and keeping an extra set of eyes on things and shuts up when you need to do something more complicated.

Normally I would link to references, but the article mentions a few studies and I went to a very good talk by someone in NZ studying this area (well, several actually) which had some interesting info which I wont pass on here*.

Getting too tired to assemble cohearent argument...

In any case, whether legislated against or not, please leave the phone switched off in the car when driving. It is just that bit safer that way.

* Which I consider bad practice because I am asking you to accept the argument on my opinion, rather than directing you to places where you can read up more and make up your own mind...