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Although law language is highly variable by state, we assumed these laws to include prohibition of texting as it would require use of the handheld device. (2) Handheld cellphone bans in which all handheld mobile electronic devices are prohibited from use while driving for drivers of all ages, but hands-free device use is allowed. These laws were further coded as being primarily enforced (law enforcement able to pull over and issue citation for text messaging alone) or secondarily enforced (law enforcement can only cite drivers who are pulled over for another offense). Distracted driving laws were categorized by 3 primary types as defined by the Governor’s Highway Safety Association: (1) Texting laws explicitly banning text messaging while driving. 25– 27 Laws were considered active only if they were in effect for the entire year of the study. We collected data on individual state motor vehicle laws from the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and previous studies in which researchers documented dates of legislative enactment ( Table 1). 18 Most concerning is that nearly half of all US high school teenagers older than 16 years reported texting while driving in the past 30 days. 4, 15– 17 This risk is present even when not physically looking away from the road because cognitive distraction from conversing on a phone can also increase crash risk. 14 Distracted driving has been shown in multiple studies to increase the risk of a crash in all drivers, particularly teenagers, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. 13Naturalistic studies, including those using simulated driving conditions, have demonstrated texting can lead to decreased reaction time, less control of vehicle stability, and elevated injury risk to both vehicle occupants and pedestrians. Distractions while driving can come in several forms, including texting on a mobile device, talking on a cellphone, and other tasks requiring drivers to look away from the road and at the device. ![]() 9– 12 More-recent legislative efforts have focused on restrictions on the use of cellphones with the goal of decreasing driver distraction, including text messaging bans, handheld cellphone bans, and novice driver all-cellphone-use bans. 9 These laws have been shown to be effective in decreasing motor vehicle fatalities in nearly all drivers. ![]() ![]() The majority of states also have implemented multiple laws to improve motor vehicle safety among teenagers and the general population, including primary seatbelt laws, penalties for impaired driving, and reduced highway speed limits.
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