Anti-texting laws don’t work, says the
Highway Loss Data Institute, a research group funded by the automobile insurance industry. After reviewing accident reports from four states that outlawed sending text messages while driving, the institute found the bans did nothing to reduce the number of automobile accidents. In fact, insurance claims related to vehicle crashes went up slightly in California, Louisiana and Minnesota. In Washington, the rate of crashes was roughly the same before and after the state’s texting ban.
“Texting bans haven’t reduced crashes at all….It’s an indication that texting bans might even increase the risk of texting for drivers who continue to do so despite the laws,” said Adrian Lund, president of both the institute and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Observers speculate that those who defy the ban, particularly young drivers, try to hide the fact that they are texting, causing an even greater distraction to their driving.
-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky