A study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute concluded that of all cell phone-related tasks—including talking, dialing, or reaching for the phone—texting while driving was by far the most dangerous. Why? For every six seconds of drive time, a driver sending or receiving a text message spends 4.6 of those seconds with their eyes off the road. Even Oprah was quoted as saying, “how absolutely stupid it is that we continue to text and drive” and asked drivers to stop the act during one of her shows earlier this year.

Which states have passed anti-texting legislation? How do these laws work? Can insurers request cell phone records to see if a driver was texting while involved in an accident? Editor in Chief Eric Gilkey spoke with Plymouth Rock Assurance Corp.’s Paula Gold to get the answers.

How will laws against texting while driving affect the auto claim process?

Overall, there will be fewer claims, all other things being equal. It’s a simple matter of cause and effect; to the extent that people reduce risky driving behaviors, claims will decline. When there are claims, they will be less severe.

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