AAA Aims to Pass Texting-While-Driving Bans

IRVING, October 16, 2009 - AAA and its member clubs today are beginning a nationwide effort to pass federal and state laws to ban text messaging by drivers in all 50 states by 2013.

AAA is advocating for laws that make it illegal for drivers of all ages to send, write, or read a text message or e-mail while their vehicle is in motion. Research by the Automobile Club of Southern California shows there is significant public support for the laws.

“The new technologies that help us multitask in our everyday lives and increasingly popular social media sites present a hard-to-resist challenge to the typically safe driver,” said AAA President and CEO Robert Darbelnet. “Enacting texting bans for drivers in all 50 states can halt the spread of this dangerous practice among motorists nationwide, and is a key legislative priority for AAA in state capitols.”

Beginning October 5-11 AAA will join the AAA Foundation for Traffic safety to call on motorists to drive distraction-free for the week of October 5 - 11 as part of its inaugural “Heads Up Driving Week: Try it for a week, do it for life.”

“AAA will lobby nationwide to pass laws in states that lack them and improve existing laws against texting while driving,” said Darbelnet. “We’ll also continue our work through public education, driver training, and other safety programs to discourage motorists from engaging in the broad range of other distractions that tempt them while behind the wheel.”

Currently, 18 states and the District of Columbia have laws that address text messaging by all drivers. Texas does not have a law prohibiting all drivers from text messaging while driving, however there are cell phone restrictions on teen drivers under the Texas Graduated Driver License laws.

“In addition to being inexperienced drivers, teens typically take more risks than older drivers. Teen drivers have the highest crash rate among any other age group,” said AAA Texas/New Mexico Corporate Communications Manager Dan Ronan. “Studies have shown crashes are the leading cause of death for Americans 16 to 18.”

Studies have found younger drivers take their eyes off the road up to 400 percent more often when text messaging. Research also shows that approximately 1 in 5 U.S. drivers admit to texting while driving at least once in the last 30 days. Multiple surveys of the general public and AAA’s membership show that 80 to 90 percent of Americans support texting bans.

AAA study shows in-vehicle texting by drivers drops following ban

The AAA legislative push to enact texting while driving bans is supported by new research released today by the Auto Club of Southern California showing that the texting while driving ban implemented in California in January 2009 appears to be reducing texting by drivers.

Researchers found a 70 percent decline in the number of drivers texting following the law taking effect. This indicates that banning texting while driving can potentially change driving behavior of motorists, reduce dangerous distracted driving, and improve safety.

“We are pleased to see that the frequency of texting while driving dropped after the texting ban went into effect in California,” said Darbelnet. “We hope that this new data will help influence lawmakers in other states to take action and pass similar legislation banning texting while driving.”

The popularity of texting has grown quickly over the past four years. According to the wireless industry trade association, CTIA, the number of monthly texting messages reached 110 billion at the end of 2008, a more than 11-fold increase in three years. Studies have shown texting while driving to be an extremely dangerous distraction for drivers due to the extended time drivers spend not looking at the road.