Does Banning Texting While Driving Make Roads Safer?

AAA recently conducted a study showing that 92 percent of the people it surveyed viewed texting while driving as “unacceptable.” Surprisingly, however, 25 percent of those same people admitted to doing it.Phoenix is Arizona’s only city that bans texting while driving. Does Phoenix have the right idea, or do bans on texting while driving fail to satisfy their purpose? Travel experts at AAA think that Phoenix is on the right track.Troubling StudiesFederal data recently published in the American Journal of Public Health show that, between 2001 and 2007, 16,000 people have been killed because of texting while driving.In addition, distracted driving rose more than 25 percent from 2005 to 2008. During that time, there has been a significant increase in texting volume.Although 30 states and the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving, this does not mean that such bans are always enforced. It is difficult for a police officer to be sure that a driver is texting, for instance, when that driver is staring at her lap rather than the road.Some researchers believe that drivers in states that outlaw texting while driving may even be holding their phones lower as they text and drive, so as to avoid detection — and creating a higher risk of accidents. This could be why a recent Highway Loss Data Institute study found that three of the four states it studied have experienced higher numbers of motor vehicle accidents after banning texting while driving.The Future of Laws on Texting While DrivingWhether states will modify their laws ontexting while drivingremains to be seen, but the fight against distracted drivingcontinues. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood notes, “Tough laws are the first step and enforcement must be next. We know that anti-distracted-driving laws can be enforced effectively.”A spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association stated that the level of enforcement of bans on texting while driving makes a difference.AAA has urged Arizona to enact a law against texting while driving. With studies that show mixed results, however, public opinion varies. A bill in Arizona’s legislature that would have banned writing, reading and sending text messages and e-mails while driving failed earlier this year.Legislative efforts continue — and so do fatalities and injuries caused by texting while driving, whether it is banned or not.