Study Makes Case for Texas to Enact Ban on Cell Phone Use While Driving

A new study makes a solid case for states like Texas, which doesn’t yet have a blanket ban on texting and the use of hand-held cell phones while driving, to move towards such a ban. The study finds that motorists in states that do have a ban on cell phone use while driving are much more likely to avoid this practice compared to motorists in states like Texas, which does not have a statewide ban on such distracting practices at the wheel.

The study was conducted by Consumer Reports, which surveyed more than 1,000 people last December. The study found 71% of people in the survey had stopped several cell phone-related distracting behaviors including texting, chatting on hand-held phone or operating a smartphone at the wheel. Out of these people, more than 50% said that they had modified or changed their driving practices because their state now has laws that prohibit texting while driving or chatting on hand-held cell phones.

In the case of motorists who lived in states with no such bans on cell phone use or texting while driving, only 34% bothered to cut down on such practices.

The results of the survey are very interesting, and indicate that state laws against texting while driving or using a hand-held cell phone while driving which several states now have are very effective in helping modify driver behavior and reducing the risks of distracted driving at the wheel. In Texas, certain cities like Galveston have ordinances in place that prevent motorists from texting while driving, but there is no Texas-wide ban in place.

The Houston car accident lawyers at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers represent people injured in car accidents across Texas.