Study: Distracted-driving laws don't stop crashes

WASHINGTON — A new insurance-industry study has found that state laws banning the use of handheld devices to make calls or send text messages while driving have not resulted in fewer vehicle crashes.

The study, released Friday by the Highway Loss Data Institute, examined insurance claims from crashes before and after such bans took effect in California, New York, Connecticut and Washington, D.C.

The organization found that claims rates did not go down after the laws were enacted. It also found no change in patterns compared with nearby states without such bans.

Adrian Lund, the group's president, said the finding doesn't bode well "for any safety payoff from all the new laws."

The Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, said its findings "don't match what we already know about the risk of phoning and texting while driving" and said it is gathering data to "figure out this mismatch."

It said one explanation could be an increase in the use of hands-free devices in places with bans on handset use while driving.

In Washington, using a handheld device while driving has been a secondary offense since July, meaning police have to see another violation before making the traffic stop and writing the $124 ticket for holding a cellphone. But companion Senate and House bills have been introduced in the Legislature to make the law a primary offense, meaning a motorist could be pulled over and cited for that offense alone.

Jonathan Adkins, a spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association, said the new study "raises as many questions as it answers." The group is concerned that bans on handheld devices encourage more drivers to use hands-free devices, which, it says, are just as risky.

The governors association is urging states to pass texting bans, but hold off on banning other cellphone use while driving until there is more data. The National Safety Council, meanwhile, supports a ban on cellphone use while driving, including the use of hands-free devices.

The Transportation Department this week banned truck and bus drivers from sending text messages on handheld devices while operating commercial vehicles of more than 10,000 pounds. Federal employees are also prohibited from texting while driving government-owned vehicles or using government-owned equipment.

Material from The Seattle Times archive is included in this report.