I can't remember when/where i heard it, but I was told that it's illegal to do things like flipping off drivers or swearing at them from your own vehicle. Some sort of aggressive driving law or something. That was in Virginia though, I don't know if it's applicable elsewhere.

I text while I drive all the time, but I follow similar rules. If I've got a passenger who is familiar with my friend and my phone, I hand them my phone and they text for me. I never text in situations that involve merging, turning, or low speeds where stopping is more likely. I also drive a manual, so that increases when I cannot text.

My life comes before my phone, I've dropped my phone with no regard when I suddenly hit a patch of bad traffic. I picked it up when it was appropriate and apologized to the person. I get quiet when I am in traffic that involves concentration, and when I do text, I don't look down. I hold the phone by the wheel with traffic in the background. This way, my hand is already by the wheel should I need to drop the phone and grab it, and I don't have a delay in switching my viewing plane. It helps to know the keypad and all it's shortcuts too.

It does annoy me that there are drivers who put their phone before their driving, I've seen it, and I've taken their phones as passengers to make them focus. It's cheaper than dying.