When you head for the desert, David Strayer is the man you want

behind the wheel. He never texts or talks on the phone while driving.
He doesn’t even approve of eating in the car. A cognitive psychologist
at the University of Utah’s Applied Cognition Lab, Strayer knows our
brains are prone to mistakes, especially when we’re multitasking and
dodging distractions. The country’s foremost expert on this topic, he
frequently briefs Congress on the dangers of cell-phone use, which his
research has shown to be as detrimental to driving ability as alcohol.
He has recently begun to take on voice-recognition technology, like
Siri and the computers that come with virtually all new autos.

“I  talk    to  Siri    all the time!”  I   said    from    the backseat    of  Strayer’s