Laws banning texting while driving don't make roads safer and may even slightly increase the number of crashes, according to a new American study reported in USA Today.The findings, which are being presented today at the annual meeting of the Governors Hi
Laws banning texting while driving don’t make roads safer and may even slightly increase the number of crashes, according to a new American study reported in USA Today.
The findings, which are being presented today at the annual meeting of the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), are sure to create controversy.
New Zealand recently banned texting while driving, as well as requiring calls taken while driving to be heard using hands-free phone kits.
Thirty US states and the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving, with 11 of the laws being passed this year.
The Highway Loss Data Institute, the research arm of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), compared rates of insurance claims from car crashes in four states before and after they banned texting.
In three out of the four states studied, crash rates actually rose after texting bans were put in place.
The researchers have come up with a possible explanation for the increase: drivers might hold their phones lower to avoid police attention, meaning they end up looking further from the road for a longer time.
“Texting bans haven’t reduced crashes at all,” said IIHS president Adrian Lund.
He said the findings “call into question the way policymakers are trying to address the problem of distracted-driving crashes” and more focus needed to be given to other in-car distractions like eating and applying makeup.
