摘要：Using a panel study design, we examined the effects of different types of texting bans on motor vehicular fatalities. We used the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and a difference-in-differences approach to examine the incidence of fatal crashes in 2000 through 2010 in 48 US states with and without texting bans. Age cohorts were constructed to examine the impact of these bans on age-specific traffic fatalities. Primarily enforced laws banning all drivers from texting were significantly associated with a 3% reduction in traffic fatalities in all age groups, and those banning only young drivers from texting had the greatest impact on reducing deaths among those aged 15 to 21 years. Secondarily enforced restrictions were not associated with traffic fatality reductions in any of our analyses. Motor vehicle safety has been described as one of the 10 great public health achievements in the United States in the past decade, 1 with car manufacturers and highway engineers making significant improvements to car and roadway safety features. 2 Despite these improvements, traffic fatalities remain one of the leading causes of death in the United States, 3 with an estimated 32 788 such deaths in 2010. 4 Thus, road traffic fatalities continue to be a significant public health concern, 5,6 garnering much attention from state lawmakers. In an effort to reduce motor vehicle fatalities, states have enacted restrictions on drunk driving, implemented graduated driver’s license programs, and mandated seatbelt use and special licensing procedures for older adults. Most recently, states have focused on restricting texting while driving. 7–9 Generally, states define texting as reading, manual composition, or sending of electronic communications—text messages, instant messages, or e-mails—via a portable electronic device. Portable electronic devices include mobile (i.e., cellular) phones, personal digital assistants, and laptop computers. Texting while driving is a serious threat to road safety, 10–13 given that research has shown that mobile phone use is associated with impaired following distance, 14 improper lane position, 11,15 longer reaction times, 11,14,16 and crashes, 11,17 which can all lead to significant adverse public health outcomes, including death. 18 Unlike talking on a mobile phone while driving, texting poses a unique threat in that it requires drivers to take their eyes off the road for several seconds at a time. 14 Our current understanding of the impact of texting laws on driving outcomes is limited. To our knowledge, 2 studies have empirically examined the impact of texting laws on adverse motor vehicle outcomes. The first was published by the Highway Loss Data Institute. 19 It examined the relationship of collision claim frequency and texting bans in just 4 states (CA, LA, MN, and WA). The authors found that texting bans were associated with increased collision claims. They speculated that this increase might be due to drivers hiding their phones from view to avoid fines and, in so doing, taking their eyes off the road more than they did before the bans. More recently, Abouk and Adams 20 published the first national-level study of texting bans’ impacts on traffic fatalities. They examined the impact of texting-while-driving bans on the occurrence of only single-vehicle, single-occupant accidents between 2007 and 2010. Their findings indicated that stronger bans that are applied to all drivers were associated with decreases in single-vehicle, single-occupant accidents. The purpose of this study is to add to the knowledge base concerning the effectiveness of texting laws, particularly by considering the varying stringency levels of these laws. Texting bans can be secondarily enforced (i.e., an officer must have another reason to stop a vehicle before citing a driver for texting while driving) or primarily enforced (i.e., an officer does not have to have another reason for stopping a vehicle). Furthermore, some states ban texting among learner’s permit holders, and some ban texting among all those aged 18 years, 21 years, or younger, and still other states ban all drivers from texting. Some states have no texting laws at all. We consider the impact of each of these policy nuances on traffic fatalities in 48 states over an 11-year period. Moreover, given that younger individuals are more likely to text while driving, 21 we examine the impact of texting laws on age-specific traffic fatalities. Overall, this study will be of interest to policymakers, law enforcement personnel, and other stakeholders interested in improving roadway safety and, by extension, public health.
