California’s ban on cell phone use while driving didn’t reduce car crashes: CU-Boulder Study

California's ban on use of cell phones while driving has failed to reduce the number of accidents in the state, according to a study conducted by the University of Colorado, Boulder.

The study, conducted from July 2008 to the end of the same year, found no statistical evidence of a reduction in the number of car crashes after the state instituted the ban.

Professor Daniel Kaffine, co-author of the study, informed they would have found some decline in number of car crashes after the instituted of the ban if use of cell phones while driving was really dangerous.

Commenting on the compiled figures, Prof. Kaffine said, "If cell phone use is really that dangerous, and if even just a fraction of people stopped using their phones, we would expect to find some decrease in accidents. But we didn't find any statistical evidence of a reduction."

Earlier in 2005, a study conducted to find the effects of free cell phone calls offered after 9 p.m., which triggered more phone calls from drivers in that time slot, had failed to find any increase in number of car crashes.

But, California's Office of Traffic Safety rejected the recently published report, arguing that their data showed a notable decline in the number of cell phone-related car crashes. It claimed that a four-year study commissioned by it found that the number of cell phone-related deaths slipped by 47 per cent.

Many experts believe that use of cell phones while driving can be distracting and lead to accidents. While talking on phone using hands free devices might not pose high risk, using phone for other features like texting or browsing internet for directions certainly leads to attention diversion. For important calls, people should stop the car and use their phone.

Health
California
Daniel Kaffine