What’s equally, that’s right EQUALLY, as dangerous as driving drunk? Driving while being distracted. Driving while being distracted by ordinary tasks such as eating, drinking coffee, or talking on a cell phone can have the same effect as driving drunk.

We know you drive with a coffee cup in your hand, or make a quick phone call to say you’re on the way while you’re behind the wheel. You change the CD, comb your hair, read the map, apply makeup, referee the fight between the kids, and multi-task like crazy while you’re driving. We know you do it, (and we sometimes do, too) but it’s just plain dangerous.

When Kitsap was mostly back roads with not much traffic, we formed dangerous distracted driving habits. But now there’s much more traffic and it’s simply too dangerous to drive while your attention is somewhere other than on the road.

How dangerous? Driving distractions are to blame for about 4,300 crashes every day on U.S. roads, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

There are some simple habit changes you can make that could save your life:

• Pull over to dial numbers and talk on your cell phone, care for kids or pets, pick up things from the floor, look at a map or write notes.

• Ask your passengers to pick up things, adjust the radio, change a CD or make and answer cell phone calls.

• Read the paper, plan a route, comb your hair, eat and make your phone calls before you leave home.

Most of us know better than to drink and drive. Now it’s time to stop driving with unnecessary distractions as well.