Study finds that cell phone bans have no effect on accident rates

Even with the recent announcement by the federal government to ban interstate truck and bus drivers from texting while operating a moving vehicle, it may still prove to have little effect in the overall scheme of things. According to a Highway Loss Data Institute study, nationwide bans on drivers using cell phones while driving haven’t yield a decline in accident rates. Distracted driving has always existed; it’s just that most people don’t classify them in the same category if they’re not cell phone related. The study compared insurance claims in four states that have bans in place and compared them to areas where drivers can talk freely – they ultimately found no significant difference.

HLDI president, Adrian Lund, says that “The laws aren’t reducing crashes, even though we know that such laws have reduced handheld phone use and several studies have established that phoning while driving increase crash risk.” Claims in New York, Connecticut, California, and Washington, D.C. were looked at by the study – both before and after bans were in place. They went on to compared them with claims in neighboring states with no bans being implemented – the method was intended to take into account factors not related to the bans; like seasonal, economic variations, and driving patterns. The never ending battle to eliminate distracted driving will continue – still there is no state in the country that bans hands-free cell phone use while driving.

via Mobile Tech Today