Driver inattention is a leading factor in many crashes, and cell phone use and texting are some of the most common driver distractions. While more and more states and localities are banning specific distractions, GHSA's message to all drivers is: don't use cell phones or other electronic devices while driving, regardless of the current law.

State legislatures have responded to the growing concern over cell phone use and texting while driving by passing a variety of new laws, inclucing banning handheld cell phone use or texting by all drivers or restricting cell phone use or texting for a specific demographic, such as teens or school bus drivers. Recently, states have been passing texting bans for all drivers at a frenetic pace.

GHSA supports texting bans for all drivers, but does have concerns about enforcement. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is expected to begin an enforcement demonstration project later this year which the Association fully supports. GHSA is hopeful that U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood’s upcoming summit on distraction and the NHTSA demonstration project will provide a roadmap for developing additional enforcement strategies and countermeasures.

GHSA does not support handheld cell phone bans, as there is no clear indication that hands-free use is any safer than handheld. A Virginia Tech study indicated hands-free systems may be beneficial, while studies from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the University of Utah and Carnegie Mellon have indicated all cell phone use is distracting.

GHSA recommends several steps to combat the increasing problem of distracted driving. Specificaly:

• The federal government should:
  • fund research to develop effective methods for enforcing texting and cell phone bans;
  • fund research to determine the nature and scope of the distracted driving problem;
  • fund a media campaign to alert the public to the dangers of distracted driving;
  • develop model policies for employers encouraging them to ban cell phone use/texting by all employees driving for business purposes;
  • provide financial incentives for states that pass comprehensive graduated licensing laws that include cell phone/texting bans for new drivers; and
  • support technological solutions that minimize driver distraction.
• States should:
  • ban text messaging for all drivers;
  • ban all non-emergency cell phone use for new drivers, as part of its Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law, as well as school bus drivers; and
  • include a category for cell phone/electronic equipment distraction on crash investigation forms.
• The private sector should:
  • ban cell phone use/texting by all employees driving for business purposes; and
  • develop technical solutions, such as systems that are able to disable specific cell phone functions while a driver is driving.
• Parents should:
  • use GDL bans as another tool to ensure safe driving practices by their teens; and
  • set a good example for their children by not using a cell phone while driving.