Can a 'Transit Mode' Stop Us From Texting While Driving?

In one way (maybe the only way), flying is easier than it used to be. Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration relaxed its ban on using electronic devices on airplanes. Since then, flight attendants have all but abandoned any pretense about requiring passengers to switch their portable electronic devices off or to Airplane Mode, even during the parts of a flight that are still subject to some FAA strictures. For phone addicts, this is great news, since the ban never made much sense from a technological perspective, and because hold on I need to check Twitter.

This development leaves us with Airplane Mode itself, a familiar toggle built into every mobile and tablet operating system that no longer feels so useful. But rather than let this function slip away as a digital anachronism, we ought to seize it as an opportunity. And by "we," I mean a different federal agency, namely the Department of Transportation.

The idea isn't mine alone: I have to tip my hat to Texas country great Robert Earl Keen. Recently, he's appeared in commercial spots for AT&T advertising the provider's new gigabit fiber Internet service in Austin. Over the last couple of days, the company has been promoting a tweet from @RobertEarlKeen1 about its "It Can Wait" campaign—so I guess I need to tip my hat to AT&T as well.