Re: the facts.
Yes, the first response is always to flip the discussion into unprovable theoreticals when the hard numbers aren't giving the answers they want. Anyway, I've seen studies that hands-free sets aren't less distracting than hand held ones.
A more detailed look at distracted driving here. Don't forget to look at the chart. How will Big Nanny deal with those other problems?
Once again, the key here is a mindset: the idea that if an elite is given total control over a situation, they can fix everything. It explains the "nanny" issues, liberal economic ideas, and many other things. It's all part of the same thing.
It's always about the power.