I just got back home to Atlanta after a weekend road trip (24 hours in three days, whew!) to my hometown of Miami to be a bridesmaid in my best friend's wedding. As soon as we hit South Florida, aka the retirement capital of the world, my trip mates and I started to play "Guess the Age." As we came up behind somebody going 50mph in the left lane on I-95, somebody shouts "Guess the Age," and the passengers crane their necks as we pass to see that it's in fact an 80-year-old woman at the helm of the slow-moving sensible sedan.

But quickly, a new game emerged. After you've been cut off or almost run out of your lane by a swerving, speeding maniac, shout "Guess the Gadget!"

Chances are, after you've recovered from the near blow of a threatened side-swipe going 90 mph, you'll turn to see that the traffic offender was either pressing buttons on a GPS navigator or chatting/texting away on a cell phone. It never fails. I dare you to try this game in your hometown.

This is not a joke, though. It's a way to make light of a very serious situation. In my personal experiment's small sample size, with every instance where I could single out a careless and unsafe driver, I found they were being distracted operating some gadget.

We all love our gizmos, but when you're driving, please keep your safety and the safety of those around you in your head. Pull over out of the way of harm or wait until you're stopped to send that very important text. Just a friendly reminder from your friends at Unplggd to stay safe!

[ Image from Steven Parker @ Flickr ]