Dr. Rahi Abouk, Assistant Professor of Economics at Ohio University, published an article on “Texting Bans and Fatal Accidents on Roadways: Do They Work? Or Do Drivers Just React to Announcements of Bans?” in the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics: Vol. 5 No. 2 (April 2013).
“Since 2007, many states passed laws prohibiting text messaging while driving,” write Abouk and co-author Scott Adams of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in their abstract. “Using vehicular fatality data from across the United States and standard difference-in-differences techniques, bans appear moderately successful at reducing single-vehicle, single-occupant accidents if bans are universally applied and enforced as a primary offense.
“Bans enforced as secondary offenses, however, have at best no effect on accidents. Any reduction in accidents following texting bans is short-lived, however, with accidents returning to near former levels within a few months. This is suggestive of drivers reacting to the announcement of the legislation only to return to old habits shortly afterward.”
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