choad, even talking on the phone is more dangerous while driving than reading a newspaper, IMO. At least reading the newspaper you look up every once in a while. While driving you can become totally unaware of what's going on if you're deep into a conversation.
Texting, I agree, that's just plain dumb when you're driving.
On another topic, I see now when you have 2-people killed in a car accident it makes national news. It used to be 35-years ago you'd have kids stacked like cordwood in station wagons and have accidents that killed 7 or 8 people over the holdiday weekends, and that would only make the state-wide news.
It's just shows how really really hard to get killed driving a car today with all the safety stuff.