Texting-and-driving bans don't work: study

Bans on texting while driving are not only ineffective but likely cause more accidents, according to a study by the U.S.-based Highway Loss Data Institute.

The organization studied accident rates in four states before and after texting while driving bans were put in place and found that the collision rate increased under the new laws.

In Minnesota, crashes increased by nine percentafter a ban, while there was a one per cent increase in Washington.

"In a perverse twist, crashes increased in three of the four states we studied after bans were enacted," said Adrian Lund, president of the institute,whose research is backed by auto insurers.

"It's an indication that texting bans might even increase the risk of texting for drivers who continue to do so despite the laws."

Previous research by the Highway Loss Data Institute found that banning the use of cellphones while driving also did nothing to reduce crashes.

"[That] calls into question the way policymakers are trying to address the problem of distracted driving crashes," Lund said.

'What they might have been doing was moving their phones down and out of sight when they texted' Adrian Lund, Highway Loss Data Institute

According to the study, non-compliance appears to be the issue. Survey results show that many drivers, particularly younger ones, are ignoring the bans.

"What they might have been doing was moving their phones down and out of sight when they texted, in recognition that what they were doing was illegal," Lund said. "This could exacerbate the risk of texting by taking the drivers' eyes further from the road and for a longer time."

That assertion is supported by research from the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Using a driving simulator, researchers found a sharp decrease in crash likelihood when drivers used so-called heads up displays, rather than heads down.

The suggestion is that it's more dangerous to text from a device that's hidden from view.

Most Canadianprovinces now have bans on texting while driving.