Did you know that driver distraction is a contributing cause of 20 to 30 percent of all motor vehicle crashes - about 1.2 million accidents per year?

digitaldriver.org, a site published by the Consumer Electronics Association.

>Distracted driving, loosely defined as any activity which preoccupies the driver of a vehicle, causing him to look away from the road or move his hands off the steering wheel, can include eating, grooming, smoking, or using a cell phone. Car electronics, including stereos, video screens and GPS navigation devices, can contribute to distracted driving when used carelessly. On the other hand, features such as Bluetooth® (for hands-free cell phone calls) and text-to-speech voice prompts can decrease distracted driving and make your trips safer.

Digitaldriver.org offers helpful information, a true-false quiz, and a state-by-state guide to laws that govern the use of electronics in vehicles. Not mentioned on the site are the windshield-mount regulations in California and Minnesota, which prohibit items other than a rear-view mirror from being placed on the windshield. These laws could apply to portable GPS devices and radar detectors, many of which come with dash-mount provisions as an alternative.