According to a new study conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute, laws that ban texting while driving have not reduced the number of car accidents where the laws exist. Even though texting while driving bans are on the books in the majority of states, the laws may actually create an increase in the number of insurance claims submitted. In response to the study the National Safety Council said the report does not demonstrate that texting bans do not work or will ever not work. The Highway Loss Data Institute is affiliated with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The study compared the rates of collision claims during a number of months before and after texting bans were put in place in four states — Washington (January 2008); Louisiana (July 2008); California (January 2009) and Minnesota (August 2008). The data from these states were compared to data from nearby states where texting laws were not put in place during the time of the study. Comparing the data to nearby states controlled the data for changes in driving because of the seasons and the number of miles driven for commuting purposes.

In each of the four states, car accidents increased among drivers age 25 and younger after the texting ban was put into effect. Drivers under the age of 25 saw the greatest increase in the amount of crashes among any age group in California, Washington and Louisiana. Young drivers were especially affected in California as they experienced an increase in accidents by 12 percent.

Source: InsuranceJournal.com, "Study: Texting Bans Don't Reduce Crashes," 12/17/10