Driver distraction is becoming one of the biggest problems on U.S. roads, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and several consumer/safety groups. Sixty percent of cell-phone calls come from cars, according to a recent Gallup poll. And a recent Delphi Automotive Systems survey said 37 percent of consumers also reported using Palm Pilots or some other kind of personal digital assistant while driving. Some communities, such as Suffolk County on New York's Long Island, have banned cell-phone use while driving, and Washington state and the federal government have considered regulating it. It's not unknown to see someone going down the road with a Palm in one hand and stylus in the other, tapping on the screen and driving with their knees -- and it doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize that can't be safe. Telematics suppliers say they already have the capability of loading up a vehicle with sensors that gauge everything from wheel speed to weather and traffic conditions. If the vehicle senses heavy traffic and bad weather, it can be programmed to block access to cell-phone calls or Internet use. But there's still a question about how an independent-minded public would react to such internal policing. Later this year, Delphi will debut the second model in its Communiport Mobile Productivity Center (MPC) lineup. The MPC Elite is an electronic device that will connect drivers with MobileAria, a new wireless-services company. Drivers can use MobileAria to download their e-mail through the MPC. The e-mail will then be read to them through their vehicle's radio. Prices have not yet been announced. Delphi is also experimenting with more voice-recognition systems and sophisticated steering-wheel buttons -- even joysticks and trackballs -- to help drivers access information while keeping their eyes on the road, according to company officials. Delphi has created an Integrated Safety System Vehicle with perhaps the ultimate in keeping the driver alert. It has cameras built into the cabin that monitor driver attentiveness by measuring eye blinks. If it senses that the driver is dozing off, a wake-up system springs into action by shaking the seat or emitting a loud tone from the audio system.