Broad laws against cellphone use while driving reduce accidents, study finds

Different states have taken different approaches to banning cellphone use behind the wheel. While each strategy arguably has its merits, a recent study suggests that broader laws are more effective in preventing accidents than bans that apply to specific habits and behaviors.

The nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) explained that there are two main types of laws banning cellphone use behind the wheel in the United States. Some state governments ban specific actions, like making a phone call and sending a text message. Others enforce broad bans, like making it illegal to hold or use a phone for any reason while sitting in the driver's seat on a public road.

"Technology is moving much faster than the laws," says Ian Reagan, a senior research scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "One solution may be to make them broader, rather than trying to come up with an exhaustive list of banned behaviors."

Reagan and his team reached this conclusion after examining the number of police-reported rear-end collisions in three states with broad bans. They discovered that monthly crash rates per 100,000 people dropped in Oregon and in Washington after laws prohibiting motorists from holding a phone while driving were enacted. Rear-end collisions didn't drop in California. Legally, a significant difference is that Oregon and Washington made holding a phone illegal, even if the car is stopped at a red light or stuck in traffic. California's law is more vague.