Drivers on cell phones, your basic careless motorist, the elderly, the newly licensed ... it seems these days that every time you put the key in the ignition you’re also putting your life on the line.

And don’t get me started on crosswalks.

Not that I have anything against crosswalks, mind you, but some people just don’t seem to understand that a crosswalk is not an invisible force field protecting one from oncoming traffic. And it’s become more and more apparent that some people ... seriously ... did not pay attention in kindergarten.

You know, the whole looking both ways thing?

Regardless, considering the number of distractions out there on the road, well, let’s just say even my daily commute has become a no-holds-barred, death grip on the steering wheel affair.

And I only drive five miles to and from the office. Go figure.

As for cell phones, and more specifically their use while driving, I’ll never understand the lure of putting one’s life on the line simply for the sake of conversation. It just seems so illogical to me, and yet you can’t drive from one end of the city to the other without seeing at least three or four individuals (or five or six ... or more), completely oblivious, chatting away while sipping on a soda, lighting a smoke or unwrapping that tasty snack that just couldn’t wait.