States with bans on texting while driving see an average 4% reduction in emergency department visits after motor vehicle crashes, according to researchers at the School of Public Health at Texas A&M University.
The researchers examined emergency department data across 16 US states between 2007 and 2014. Of the 16 states, all but one (Arizona) have a law restricting texting while driving. These are either primary laws, meaning drivers can be pulled over for texting regardless of whether another traffic violation took place, or secondary laws, in which drivers are sanctioned for texting only after another violation like speeding or running a red light took place. Some states implement the bans on all drivers, while others sanction only new drivers.
Regardless of the type of law or who it applied to, over the period studied the states with texting bans experienced a 4% average reduction in emergency department visits. The states with primary bans on all drivers saw an 8% reduction in crash-related injuries.
“The law can be a very useful public health intervention,” said Alva Ferdinand, Lead Author of the study. “There are lives that can be saved and injuries prevented as a result of these laws.”
The research has been published in the American Journal of Public Health.
