If you find traffic predictable, you probably don't live in Los Angeles. As for lives at risk - my decision to commute to a client is orders of magnitude more dangerous to people around me than the momentary distraction of letting my wife know whether I'll be able to provide child care. I'm personally OK with doing that, so long as I take steps to minimize the risk to myself and others.
It sounds like your situation and/or value system is different.
It sounds like your situation and/or value system is different.