Distracted Driving: States that Restrict Cell Phone Use and Text Messaging
Jan 11th, 2011 | By Michael Bittner | Category: Health and Safety
Map of Texting Bans (http://www.iihs.org/laws/maptextingbans.aspx)
The number of states in the United States that restrict driving while texting or talking on a cell phone continues to increase. Fortunately, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an independent, nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses from crashes on the nation’s highways, has compiled a table of jurisdictions within the U.S. that have cell phone and text messaging restrictions. The table also shows whether the restrictions are enforced as primary or secondary laws. Under secondary laws, a police officer must have some other reason to stop a vehicle before citing a driver for using a cell phone or texting.
According to the IIHS, as of January 2011,
- Text messaging is banned for all drivers in 30 of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
- The use of cell phones by novice drivers is restricted in 28 states and the District of Columbia.
- Driving while talking on a hand-held cell phone is banned in nine U.S. states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Utah, Washington) plus the District of Columbia. Several cities and counties within the U.S. have also enacted cell phone restrictions.
Map of Hand-held Cell Phone Bans (http://www.iihs.org/laws/maphandheldcellbans.aspx)
Additional Information
Read the related EHS Journal article, Distracted Driving: Oprah and DOT Working for Vehicle Safety.
About the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent, nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses — deaths, injuries, and property damage — from crashes on the nation’s roads. Research focuses on three main areas
- human factors, or preventing crashes by changing driver behavior;
- vehicle factors, or reducing deaths and injuries by improving vehicle design; and
- environmental factors, or changing roadway design, signs and signals to reduce crashes.
The Highway Loss Data Institute shares and supports this mission through scientific studies of insurance data representing the human and economic losses resulting from the ownership and operation of different types of vehicles and by publishing insurance loss results by vehicle make and model.
[...] Distracted Driving: States that Restrict Cell Phone Use and Text Messaging. This article includes helpful maps showing mobile telephone and text messaging restrictions. [...]
[...] Distracted Driving: States that Restrict Cell Phone Use and Text Messaging. This article includes helpful maps showing mobile telephone and text messaging restrictions. [...]
[...] Distracted Driving: States that Restrict Cell Phone Use and Text Messaging. This article includes helpful maps showing mobile telephone and text messaging restrictions. [...]
[...] Distracted Driving: States that Restrict Cell Phone Use and Text Messaging. This article includes helpful maps showing mobile telephone and text messaging restrictions. [...]
Great article. All states should ban cell phone usage in automobiles, with the exception of 911. The ban should include testing, surfing, and talking!
Mark
[...] the related EHS Journal article, Distracted Driving: States that Restrict Cell Phone Use and Text Messaging. This article includes helpful maps showing mobile telephone and text messaging [...]
I think legislation has value in raising public awareness in forums like this one but it will be difficult to solely legislate our way out of this issue. I just read that 72% of teens text daily - many text more 4000 times a month. New college students no longer have email addresses! They use texting and Facebook - even with their professors. This text and drive issue is in its infancy and its not going away.
I decided to do something about distracted driving after my three year old daughter was nearly run down right in front of me by a texting driver. Instead of a shackle that locks down phones and alienates the user (especially teens) I built a tool called OTTER that is a simple GPS based, texting auto reply app for smartphones. It also silences call ringtones while driving unless you have a bluetooth enabled. I think if we can empower the individual then change will come to our highways now and not just our laws.
Erik Wood, owner
OTTER LLC
OTTER app
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