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Abstract
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As of July 31, 2010, 30 states and the District of Columbia had enacted laws banning all motorists from texting while driving. This reflects concern among policymakers about the rapid growth of text messaging (according to the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association [2010], the number of monthly text messages has risen from about 14 mil- lion in 2000 to more than 150 billion in 2009) coupled with highly publicized reports that texting while driving may increase crash risk by 23 times (Olson et al., 2009).
The purpose of the research reported in this Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) bulletin was to determine whether the laws banning text messaging are reducing collision claims. The very large volume of collision data reported to HLDI by its member companies -- which account for more than 80 percent of the private passenger insurance market -- give it the ability to gain early, statistically reliable estimates of even small changes in crash frequency. This can be very useful in informing policymakers quickly about the benefits of, in this case, texting bans for improving highway safety. In addition, it can inform insurers about the benefits they can expect from texting laws in terms of lower claims costs.
The current bulletin uses an analytical procedure analogous to that reported in a previous bulletin (Vol. 26, No. 17) that examined insurance claims experience following the enactment of hand-held cellphone bans for drivers. In brief, the col- lision claims frequency experience of states with texting bans is compared with that of neighboring states that either had no ban or, at least, had no substantial change in ban status during the months before and after the ban became effective in the states studied. Two changes have been made from the prior study of hand-held cellphone bans. Additional demo- graphic variables have been included in the models to control their effects on any changes in collision claims experience and the number of vehicle model years has been expanded. In the prior bulletin, HLDI reported that, generally, there had been no increase in collision claim frequency as cellphone use (and texting) has increased and that hand-held cellphone bans had no effect on collisions as reported to insurers. The current bulletin looks at whether texting bans -- which address a behavior thought to be even riskier than talking on cellphones -- have been more effective.
nsurance collision loss experience does not indicate a decline in crash risk when texting laws are enacted. Rather, there appears to have been a small increase in claims in the states enacting texting bans, compared to neighboring states. Partly, this may reflect the difficulty of enforcing texting bans. A national survey by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found little difference between states with and without bans in the proportion of people reporting that they texted while driving (Braitman and McCartt, 2010). However, lack of compliance by itself would predict no change in crash experi- ence, not an increase as observed in the insurance collision data.
This unexpected consequence of banning texting suggests that texting drivers have responded to the law, perhaps by attempting to avoid fines by hiding their phones from view. If this causes them to take their eyes off the road more than before the ban, then the bans may make texting more dangerous rather than eliminating it. Simulator research is consis- tent with this hypothesis. In one study, more than 3 times as many drivers experienced a simulated collision while using a head-down display (traditional dashboard display) compared with a head-up (display part of the windshield) (Charissis et al., 2008). Another simulator study found longer reaction times among commercial drivers using head-down versus head-up displays (Liu and Wen, 2004).
The results of this study seem clear. In none of the four states where texting bans could be studied was there a reduction in crashes. It’s important to remember that the public safety issue in distracted driving is the crashes resulting from cell- phone conversations and texting, not the use of these devices, per se. If the goal of texting and cellphone bans is the reduction of crash risk, then the bans have so far been ineffective. Bans on handheld cellphone use by drivers have had no effect on crashes (HLDI, 2009), as measured by collision claim frequencies, and texting bans may actually have increased crashes.
Full bulletin available:
http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/pdf/HLDI_Bulletin_27_11.pdf |