Bans on texting while driving linked to drop in crash injuries at ERs

States where it's illegal to text while driving may have safer roads, according to a U.S. study that tracked declines in crash-related emergency room visits after these laws took effect.

On average, states saw 1,632 fewer traffic-related emergency room visits per year after implementing a texting ban, the new study found.

Nationwide in 2016, almost 3,500 people died and another 391,000 people were seriously injured in crashes involving distracted drivers, researchers note in the American Journal of Public Health.

Some previous research suggests that laws limiting mobile phone use to hands-free activities can help reduce distractions and crashes. But it's still unclear how texting bans might impact the chance of minor road injuries that only require emergency room treatment, not a hospital admission.

For the current study, researchers examined data on these less-serious crash-related injuries treated in emergency rooms between 2007 and 2014 in 16 U.S. states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Every state but Arizona passed a texting-while-driving ban at some point during the study period.

In states with a texting ban, the study found an average 4 percent annual reduction in emergency room visits for motor vehicle crash injuries compared to before the ban.

"While new laws that are aimed at curbing distracted driving may seem overbearing, they have been shown to reduce detrimental roadway outcomes that lead to the prevention of death, serious injuries, and minor injuries following a car crash," said lead study author Alva Ferdinand of Texas A&M University School of Public Health in College Station.