Turns out it wasn't cellphones that were the origin of distracted danger behind the wheel when people weren't looking at the road. According to Forbes' Magazine, it was originally AM radio - and some places even tried to ban the band in the early days of automobiles. 

"Back in the 1920s and 30s, when the radio was still a novelty, drivers were initially enthralled by the new technology. Listening to music, news, or sporting events became an instant pastime, but the dangers were present.

Drivers would become so engrossed in their radios that they would forget to pay attention to the road, and accidents would happen. Such accidents were so prevalent that many cities, states, and even countries considered banning radios altogether."

Proving, I suppose, that everything old is new again. 

AM Radio—The Original Driving Distraction—Faces Extinction