Hands on the wheel, not on the phone

Distracted driving is responsible for up to 10% of fatal vehicle accidents in the U.S. It ranks as the top “human contributing factor” in motor vehicle crashes. Certainly, distraction may have many causes, from eating or applying makeup, to children and pets in the vehicle. But it has one prevalent — and deadly — cause that we can easily reduce: handheld cellphone use.  

Texting while driving is already illegal in Colorado, along with 47 other states and the District of Columbia. To further minimize the dangers of distracted driving, half of the states require drivers to use hands-free devices while driving. It’s time Colorado joins them.  

We live in an age of previously unimaginable driver safety features. But every…