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California cellphone law not making roads safer

January 29, 2010

The state law requiring drivers to use hands-free cellphones is not making California highways any safer, according to a new study. [Los Angeles Times]

The Highway Loss Data Institute found that the rates of crashes before and after the 2008 cellphone law took effect have not significantly changed. More to the point, California statistics overall mirror those of neighboring Arizona and Nevada–two states that currently don’t have cellphone laws.

Researchers studied nearly two million insurance claims to gather data. In California, there was slightly more than eight crashes per 100 vehicles 18 months before the law passed. That figure dropped to 7.5 crashes per 100 vehicles 12 months after the law passed–consistent with traffic stats from other neighboring states.

“The laws aren’t reducing crashes,” said Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.


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Try this, when you begin you trip turn off the phone. When you arrive, turn it back on. Inexplicably, the average YO YO blathering on their phone actually believe they have something worthwhile to say.


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What a huge surprise! The most ignored law ever has no effect on safety.

Note to Calif. just passing a law is worthless without enforcement.


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I agree. California does not enforce half the laws in the state; that is why CA is such a mess and people are leaving left and right.


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Some people are bad drivers no matter what. But the cell phone law has to be the most openly violated law I have ever seen.


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They need to stop any and all cellphone use while driving. If you are thinking about your conversation, you are not thinking about where you are going and what is happening around you.


As to the “study”, I would love to know who, behind the scenes, funded it.


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I agree completely! And I too would love to know who “funded” this law. I have always said, the only thing that law says, is that we, the drivers, are incapable of driving our vehicles with one hand!!! The problems associated with cell phones and driving have NOTHING to do with driving with one hand. They do, however, have everything to do with concentration/attention!! DUH!


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That’s because I still see everyone using phones with no earpieces!!


Yes I do use earpiece. Started before it bacame law.


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