Study: Texting ban may cause more crashes

On Thursday September 30th, 2010 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will join 28 other states in banning texting while driving. Later this year and in early 2011, Wisconsin and Delaware will make the 29th and 30th states.

Although states are putting a ban on texting while driving, a new study came out today that claims the laws may not be doing much. According to an ABCNews report, texting while driving may be very dangerous, but state laws banning the activity are not reducing the number of auto crashes. Researchers at the Highway Loss Data Institute reported today they found no reduction in car collisions after texting-while-driving laws took effect. The researchers calculated rates of collision claims for vehicles in California, Louisiana, Minnesota and Washington, immediately before and immediately after those states banned texting while driving. Not only did the researchers find that crashes did not decrease after texting bans, they found that in three states, crashes actually increased slightly.

For more information regarding the changes in the law, log onto the MassDOT website.