Cell phones are not the the only distraction causing Rio Grande City car crashes.

An insurance industry study has found that state laws banning handheld cell phones do not significantly decrease the number of highway traffic accidents.

The study, conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute tracked insurance claims in California, Connecticut, New York and Washington, DC both before and after such bans went into effect. They also compared data with neighboring states that had no bans.

The surprising result – handheld cell phone bans have little effect on the number of accidents that occur on state roads.

Six states (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington) and the District of Columbia currently ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving. A total of 19 states and the District of Columbia ban texting while driving. Texas has no state regulations, but some cities such as Austin have city bans on texting.

The Highway Loss Data Institute said that these findings don’t match what is known about the risks of phoning and texting while driving. Past research buy the Highway Loss Data Institute showed that drivers using handheld cell phones are four times more likely to be in a crash than drivers who are not distracted. They are continuing the study in order to explain these unexpected results.

Other studies have estimated that 50% to 85% of the six million crashes that occur each year are caused by distracted drivers. This means that distractions cause 4,000 to 8,000 accidents every day in the United States. One explanation is that drivers are replacing handheld cell phones with hands-free devices or other technology.

The National Safety Council believes that all cell phone use is distracting and is urging for a complete cell phone ban for drivers. Other groups such as the State Governors Association are urging states to pass bans on texting, but to hold off on cell phone bans until further studies are completed.

The take home message from this study is that drivers should realize that cell phones are not the only distraction in the car and get in the habit of focusing on the road rather than technology. If you need to make a phone call, program a GPS navigation system, tune the radio or even eat or discipline children, your safest option is to pull over to a safe parking spot and not attempt to do this while driving.

If you have been in an accident caused by a distracted driver in Rio Grande City, Brownsville, McAllen, San Antonio, Corpus Christi or anywhere in South Texas, contact the attorneys at the Cowen Law Group. No matter what the insurance companies claim, you have rights. Our lawyers can help you protect those rights and get the fair compensation that you are entitled to. Call us at 877-385-1282 before you agree to or sign anything from the insurance companies