Study Finds Texting Laws Don’t Reduce Crashes

September 28, 2010 12:48 PM

Cars drive by a sign notifying of a new texting while driving law in California. (credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A new study says laws that ban texting while driving don’t reduce wrecks and might actually increase risks.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s claim research arm released its findings Tuesday in Kansas City.

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The insurance industry group compiled data from California, Louisiana, Minnesota and Washington immediately before and after driver texting was banned.

The study found the number of crashes actually increased in three of those states after the bans were implemented.

Institute spokesman Russ Rader says the increase might be the result of drivers trying to keep phones out of view while texting.

Highway officials say enforcement of the bans is just starting.

Study Finds Texting Laws Dont Reduce Crashes

scott

the laws have no teeth, just wrist alaps, so why ahould texters stop???

zxsaint

Exactly right — they should hand over the ticket data over to the insurance companies and let them adjust people’s driver rating (and rates)

Brian

If people are STUPID enough to text while driving then they are capable of paying all the repair, medical, loss of life and disablity payments if they are responsible for causing a wreck while driving distracted.
hank

I hope Cbs2 follows up on the stories that involve texting and death…….for example……the singer Brandy who hit a driver and killed her……i emailed the station asking if txting or talking on the phone was a concern in the investigation….no response………….the Plastic Surgeon killed in Malibu last month….tweeted 20min. before he was killed…….was he looking at his txts/tweets etc…….no follow up……we need to be adults and take responsability for our actions………D O N T T E X T while driving…….the celll companies dont care if you die while you txt……..its all about $$$….! !
bigjim

The reason the laws have not reduced accidents is because people DO NOT OBEY THE LAW. Take a drive down any freeway and look at all the people on their cell phones, if the law made the fine say…..$1,000.00 then maybe people would stop, or make it where if you are involved in a crash and your phone records show you were on the phone or texting at the time of the crash you would be at fault regardless of any other facts.