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In Texas, the only law that applies to texting and driving is no hand-held’s in school zones. However, texting while driving is illegal in many other states and researchers at the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) found no reductions in car accidents after laws took effect that ban texting by all drivers. Additionally, research found that such bans are actually associated with slight increases in the frequency of insurance claims filed under collision coverage for damage to vehicles in auto collisions.
HLDI's findings are based on comparisons of claims in four states before and after texting bans, compared with patterns of claims in nearby states. HLDI is an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This new texting data is consistent with the organization's previous claims that banning hand-held phone use while driving does not reduce car accidents.
HLDI researchers calculated rates of collision claims for vehicles up to nine years old during the months immediately before and after driver texting was banned in California (January 2009), Louisiana (July 2008), Minnesota (August 2008), and Washington (January 2008). Comparable data were collected in nearby states where texting laws weren't substantially changed during the time span of the study. This controlled for possible changes in collision claim rates unrelated to the bans, changes in the number of miles driven due to the economy, seasonal changes in driving patterns, etc. Not surprising, younger motorists were more likely than older people to text while driving. In states that enacted texting bans, the number of car accident involving drivers younger than 25 increased.
Cell phones and texting in general are on the rise. The number of cell phone subscriptions in December of 2009 was 286 million, up 47 percent from 194 million in June 2005. The number of texting went up by about 60 percent in 1 year alone, from 1 trillion messages in 2008 to 1.6 trillion in 2009.
I personally don’t think that this research tells the whole story. Something is missing. Texting and driving is dangerous and it causes wrecks. I think the underlying data must be favored. How do the researchers determine who was texting? Distracted driving is just not as easy to prove as drunk driving.
Information and commentary provided by Distracted Driving Lawyer Mark A. Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. If you or a loved one has been injured from a distracted driver, please fill out our contact form for a free consultation.