According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, 14 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands have bans on the use of handheld cell phones for all drivers. Thirty-eight states and Washington, D.C., ban the use of cell phones by novice drivers, and 44 states have primary texting bans, while five have a secondary ban on texting.

What does this mean to insurers? Ferdinand says that insurers need to be aware of the impact of the texting bans on their insureds. She says "there was some indication that traffic fatalities may be on the rise in states with secondarily enforced texting bans.  Insurers in states with primarily enforced texting bans, whether prohibiting all drivers or just young drivers from texting while driving, should note that there have been significant reductions in traffic fatalities in their states. Our findings may have implications for underwriting considerations. Moreover, insurance companies in states without texting bans and with secondary texting bans might consider advocating for the enactment of primary texting bans in their states."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that as of December 2012, 171.3 billion text messages were sent in the U.S. and surrounding territories every month. In 2012, 3,328 people were killed and 421,000 were injured in accidents involving a distracted driver. Individuals in their 20s comprise 27% of the distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes. The minimum amount of time a driver takes his eyes off the road for any task is five seconds. If traveling at 55 mph, this is equal to covering the distance of an entire football field while blindfolded – not something any driver would purposefully attempt. Because texting involves multiple senses – sight, touch and cognitive functions – it is becoming the most dangerous distraction for drivers by far.