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Just try the experiment I posted above. *Then* tell me talking on the phones don't give you tunnel vision.
I admit that, like you, I am one of the 80% of drivers who considers myself an above average driver. But I've done that experiment, I *can* see with my whole eyes when I'm not talking on the phone, and I *don't* talk while driving any more.
And if you consider "someone putting brake lights on in front of you" to be an exceptionally high risk situation, I've got nothing to add.
Exactly, OakLeaf, I think the problem is not so much that people are engaging in behavior that they know is dangerous as it is that we all over-estimate our abilities to do more than one thing well at a time. Like I said, the majority of drivers on cellphones that fail to yield to me on my bike don't even seem to *notice* that I'm there. So I think it's easy to be oblivious to the danger until you actually hurt someone or cause an accident.
A lot of people will tell you that they are absolutely ok to drive safely after a drink or two too.
CA in NC, your employer sounds like a few I have encountered. I worked in the tech industry over the boom years when the rage was to bring in food, games, even beer (!) too keep people at work. It seemed like a nice bonus until you realized that the point was to chain you to your desk. It just isn't worth it. A bigger paycheck is rarely so much bigger as to compensate for lost time, enjoying your family and the like. I hope everything works out well for you, and mostly that you soon find an employer that is closer and knows that a balanced life leads to a happier and more productive employee.
Anne