Distractions While Driving - Toe Nail Painting, Weight Lifting, More Going On

If you thought typing a text message while dodging traffic at 65 mph was dangerous (it is), consider the perils of shaving your legs, reading a book or lifting weights while driving — all of which (and more) are happening on America's roads — every day.

odie Feigler was driving south on Interstate 405, heading from Santa Barbara, Calif., to San Diego for the weekend, when she got stuck in Friday rush-hour traffic near the Los Angeles International Airport. "The freeway was one big parking lot that inched along collectively," Feigler recollects. While this is nothing special (bumper-to-bumper traffic is a typical Southern California scene), what happened next is: "I glanced to my right and there was a woman with her left foot sticking out the driver's window painting her toe nails." Feigler couldn't believe it.

While this might seem like careless behavior, judging from the results of several recent studies on driving behavior, a self-administered pedicure behind the wheel may not be as unusual as you'd expect. Multitasking is on the rise and, increasingly, the car presents an opportunity to get things done — especially in cities where long commutes are common...Continued