I have been playing in the car since 93 around when I joined harp-l. I will not claim it is perfectly safe, but I definitely find it safer than falling asleep at the wheel. I'm sure that for me it is safer than talking on the phone. Though I have a hands-free speaker system, I have driven past my exit when talking with someone else. I've also done this when talking to a passenger, but I've never done it while playing. I think this is because playing is entirely of my own volition whereas a phone call is not. My biggest concern would be that should an accident occur, I would not have both hands on the wheel.
I learned to play in the car and it kept me in a job when I could not find any other way to stomach the commute. It has been a huge source of joy in my life and, in my case, I have thought about it a lot and genuinely believe I am not endangering myself or others significantly more than being on the road in the first place. I would not want to spend a lot of effort being defensive about this, but if I'm ever proven wrong, I will say that it was a conscious and thoughtful decision.
The other day, I was lining up in traffic to get on the Bay Bridge and I saw a chap playing a ukulele in the neighbouring car! Unfortunately, our lanes were travelling at different speeds and I didn't get to jam with him.
+R
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