The amount of times I've yelled at a driver to bloody well look later when I was hitching rides in friends' cars -_- I have checked the phone when at a red light (most involved I get was quick hacking a portal when I had Ingress running while driving, otherwise it's checking the time or changing playlist, and now I'm too lazy and only play Ingressmon when walking or someone else is driving), and otherwise it's the glance when Google Maps is directing me somewhere.

Some people just don't think though, or can't shift mindset in a hurry (or at all sometimes :S). Like your Walking Dead characters there, maybe despite how long things have been going on (I don't watch it so no idea) it might still simply not have occurred to them to not take the easy way. Similarly it just may not occur to some people that they shouldn't whatever while driving (it's a terribly important text and they're good drivers, they're only slightly over the limit, and accidents are things that without fail always happen to other people and never to them).

Incidentally this is why I don't like my kids riding their bikes down our street (the ones behind are okay) or crossing the highway by themselves (in groups is fine as two or more twiggy children are easier to see than one), we have too many people in the area who are pretty convinced they're at least equal to if not surpassing the skill level of any given rally driver.