Laws to restrict U.S. citizens from texting and driving may not be making American roads any safer, according to a new study from the Highway Loss Data Institute.
The Arlington, Va.,-based HLDI says it has analyzed the rates of collision claims in four states, before and after texting while driving was banned.
It compared the results to the collision rates in nearby states where no such laws are on the books.
The HLDI found that in three of the four states where the bans came into effect, the rates of claims actually slightly increased after texting laws were enacted. And the patterns of collisions didn't differ much from states without texting laws in place.
In a statement released Tuesday, HLDI President Adrian Lund said the findings "call into question the way policymakers are trying to address the problem of distracted driving crashes.
"They're focusing on a single manifestation of distracted driving and banning it. This ignores the endless sources of distraction and relies on banning one source or another to solve the whole problem."
Prior studies in the U.S and Canada have found that it also is dangerous for drivers to be talking on their cellphones, a behaviour that increases the risk that drivers end up injured or damaging property in a crash.
In any case, Lund said "neither texting bans nor bans on hand-held phone use have reduced crash risk."
Robert Tremblay, of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, says the results of the HLDI texting study are not a surprise and he agrees that legislation is not the key to improving driving safety.
In order to make the roads safer, Tremblay said there is a need to change the way people think about their behaviour on the road, similar to the way that attitudes changed over time about wearing seatbelts and driving under the influence.
"We have to make it socially unacceptable," Tremblay said during an interview with CTV's Canada AM in Toronto on Tuesday morning.
A change in public attitude, in concert with necessary enforcement by police, "will make worlds of difference on our roads," Tremblay said.
The HLDI is an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which is also based in Arlington.
