Do Laws Lower Distracted Driving?

By Grant Law Office on October 26, 2011

As society becomes increasingly hypnotized and married to cell phones and handheld devices, most would agree on the severity of the distracted driving epidemic in this country. But there is a level of discourse regarding how to adequately address and decrease it. Some think legislation that prohibits texting and overall cell phone usage deters violations and inherently reduces the number of wrecks caused by distraction. However, a recent Fact Checker column in the Reno Gazette Journal questioned the proven merit of these types of regulations, specifically speaking to a new bill (Senate bill 140) that outlaws every kind of hand held cell phone usage in Nevada.

It’s important to reinforce that the column did not question or condone the serious consequences of distracted driving, pointing to University of Utah data that found drivers using hand held electronic devices while driving to be as compromised as those who were legally drunk with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 percent or more. The column also noted devastating wrecks in its region as a result of distraction. But it questioned the arguably inconclusive evidence found in research studies as to whether laws actually effectively curb the hazardous activity, citing a Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) quote that alleged: “there is no evidence that cell phone or texting bans have reduced crashes.”

While the column could not accurately deduct the effectiveness of such laws based on the current data, lawmakers deserve commendation for trying to address a serious problem as it continues to grow and pose huge dangers to drivers and passengers here in Georgia and across the nation. Have you been injured in a GA distracted driving accident that you think was the result of another driver’s negligence? Contact the distracted driving accident lawyers in Atlanta at the Law Offices of Wayne Grant at (404) 995-3955 for a free case review.