As it becomes more likely that the use of handheld gadgets while driving will be banned, the Globe tossed out a thought worth debating--if drivers are still allowed to use headsets, will they drive better? Or is the mere act of talking the problem? Noah Bierman talked to an MIT engineer who said, "Conversations are the problem, not the phone." A Virginia Tech researcher added that the act of trying to dial was also distracting.......

The Joint Committee on Transportation has approved a bill that bans the use of using a handheld gadget while driving, and the Massachusetts House of Representatives will vote on the bill next, the Globe reports. If the bill passes, drivers will be fined $100 if they are caught with a handheld gadget for the first time, $250 for the second, and $500 for the third. Theoretically, the police should confiscate the handheld gadget and make......