A study suggests that distracted driving laws are not making drivers any safer. Everyone can agree that texting and distracted driving is dangerous. However, there is no significant data yet to prove its ban did what lawmakers wanted.
This news comes the same week that Massachusetts became the 30th state to pass a law against texting behind the wheel, while also restricting cell phone use by teen drivers. According to the Highway Loss Data Institute, there is no significant reduction in crashes after a state passes a law against distracted driving.
In fact, Adrian Lund, president of the HLDI and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, even warned that there may be some evidence suggesting that crash rates may have actually increased in some states that recently enacted texting bans.
The Department of Transportation was quick to denounce the study as “misleading.”
However, law enforcement officials have long pointed out that it’s difficult to enforce a texting ban since the devices are usually held below the window level of a vehicle, making it extremely difficult for officers to spot offenders before an accident has occurred.
In light of this and other safety hazards, it makes sense for people to be prepared for almost anything. And in many cases, that includes protecting loved ones with an investment in a good life insurance policy.