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   "Last year, cell phone sales worldwide reached 1 billion.
   Think not many people use them while driving?
   Think again.
   A 2005 phone survey by Driveforlife.com shows 43 percent of drivers talk on their phone while driving. And the younger generation has already moved on to newer technology, preferring to send quick text messages - CU LTR - via cell phone.
   The Driveforlife.com survey shows 32 percent of drivers ages 16 to 20 send text messages while driving, compared with 6 percent of older drivers.
   Whether you talk or text, mix it with driving and it becomes a dangerous distraction.
Just ask Greensboro resident and, avid bicyclist Mark Schulz.
   Nearly two months ago, a woman texting on her cell phone hit Schulz with her car.
   He suffered a fractured knee, crushed vertebrae, broken ribs, a broken sternum and a concussion. Schulz faces a lengthy rehabilitation and may have to delay plans to become a tenured professor this summer, at UNCG.
   He also won't be able to-trade this week in Greensboro's second Ride of Silence, a national memorial ride for bicyclists injured or killed by motorists. Instead, he'll attend as a speaker, sharing his experiences with the crowd before the ride begins.
   Don't expect the accident to keep Schulz from cycling on public roads.
   He plans to resume biking as soon as his doctor will approve it. He also has started advocating for safer driving and intends to speak to legislators about stricter laws.
   He hopes motorists will realize the danger of distractions, especially during Memorial Day, when more families will be on the road and in unfamiliar surroundings.
   "You have to be aware and ready to respond," Schulz said. "Otherwise, you're going to be in trouble."
   Rodgman, the UNC researcher, says technological distractions likely will become more of an issue.
   While technology advancements make using the equipment easier for drivers,    Rodgman's not so sure that hands-free devices, voice-activated systems and the like will temper the potential for distraction.
   "People who are talking on a cell phone, even if they're not holding it, they're distracted," Rodgman said.
The driver becomes focused on the conversation, not the driving.
   And that could be a fatal distraction.
   "You're at a higher risk," Rodgman said, "to make a mistake."

Contact Jennifer Fernandez at 373-7064