Even as policymakers and safety advocates worry that the use of gizmos in cars is driving people to distraction, companies including Ford Motor showcased dashboard innovations at the Consumer Electronics Show. The topic was so prominent, in fact, that hundreds of booths dedicated to computers and cars gave the industry event a Detroit Auto Show feeling.

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But as the use of technology accelerates, policymakers are proceeding with caution. Distracted driving is deadly, they say.

In 2008, nearly 6,000 highway deaths were caused by distracted driving -- with many of those distractions caused by cellphone use. On any given day, 800,000 drivers use cellphones on the road, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to a Pew report, one of three teens admit to texting while driving.

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