Fueling skepticism about the efficacy of texting-while-driving (TWD) bans are the Highway Loss Data Institute's (HLDI) latest findings. The organization, which is an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), compared claims in four states both before and after the enactment of each TWD ban with the claim patterns in nearby states. The researchers determined there was actually a slight uptick in the frequency of insurance claims filed under collision coverage for damages.
This conclusion appears to be consistent with the findings of a previous HLDI study, which suggested that banning hand-held phone use while driving doesn't translate to fewer crashes.
"Texting bans haven't reduced crashes," said Adrian Lund, president of both the HLDI and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "In a perverse twist, crashes increased in three of the four states we studied after bans were enacted. It's an indication that texting bans might even increase the risk of texting for drivers who continue to do so despite the laws."
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