Julie Deardorff: Cell phone can save you ... or kill you

Your cell phone has the power to kill you or save your life. Talk on it while you’re driving and you’re four times more likely to have a crash that will send you to the hospital. But if you do have a terrible wreck and need assistance, your phone's ICE (in case of emergency) contact—or your own downloaded medical records—can tell paramedics whether you’re allergic to penicillin or help prevent medication errors. More than 250 million Americans now subscribe to a cellular-phone service, an 84 percent penetration of the U.S. population, according to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, the leading industry trade group. So while they do pose some risks--and we must admit, it's a little unnerving that Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, told his staff their should limit... [read full story]