Insurance Study Shows Distracted Driving Bans Are Not Effective in Reducing the Number of Crashes

The Highway Loss Data Institute studied insurance claims before and after distracted driving bans took place in California, New York, Connecticut, and Washington, DC and found that driver's are not following the ban; there have been no changes in the number of crashes.

They also looked at neighboring states which have not enacted such bans and found the same results.

What is it going to take for teens and adults to realize that texting or even distracted driving in general is a danger?...to themselves and others.
Or do we just need a more convenient way to communicate while we drive?

Girl vs. Boy: Gap Closing on Risky Driving Behaviors

Teen boy drivers have notoriously higher insurance rates, due to their aggressive and risky driving behavior...and the crash rates to prove it. But the gap in risky behavior between teen boys and girls seems to be closing according to a recent report from The Allstate Foundation.

In the study, girls admit to speeding, texting, and acting aggressively behind the wheel more than boys. But the survey statistics haven't translated into crash statistics. But if the trend continues, it could result in higher premiums for girls.

"Experience still shows female drivers are safer than boys at this age," Allstate spokesman Raleigh Floyd said. "Until those figures change, our rating isn't going to change."

But even so, the rates have grown a little. Twenty years ago, it cost an average of 50% more to insure a young male than young female. These days it's about 20% to 30% more. "There is still a gap, but it's getting smaller all the time," said Thomas DeFalco, an actuary at the New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co.

And Sam Belden, vice president at Insurance.com, said data compiled through the online agency show that premiums for 16-year-old girl drivers have risen about $500 over the last two years, while those for boys in the same age group have been roughly flat.

Most chalk it up to distractions. DVD players, MP3 players, friends in the car...and maybe it boils down to plain boredom. Everyone is in such a hurry.

Kristen Marzano, 17, has had her license for about five months and admitted that sometimes she puts on her makeup or fixes her hair in the car or plays with her MP3 player.

"It's mostly I wait until the last minute to do everything," she said. "If I'm going to drive, I'm running out the door, dropping things. I guess it's just being disorganized."


Check out the statistics from the study below...parents and teens alike, are you one of the numbers?


Click to enlarge


Thank you to Chicago Tribune

Young Woman Drives Drunk While Nursing Child

Just came across a shocking article about an event that took place April of last year...

A 19-year-old woman in Alice Springs, Australia was breast feeding her 5-month-old child after leaving a bar and was, evidently SO intoxicated, that she almost hit the police car that pulled her over and then couldn't function enough to do the breathalyzer test. The vehicle she was driving was unregistered and uninsured vehicle and she wasn't licensed to drive.

How appalling...it almost sounds made up.

Oprah Winfrey and Progressive's "No Phone Zone"

During her show today (Jan. 22), Oprah Winfrey announced that Progressive is sponsoring the No Phone Zone campaign, an awareness campaign designed to educate drivers on the dangers of cell phone use while driving. Drivers are encouraged to visit www.oprah.com/nophonezone to sign a pledge to not use cell phones while driving.

Ms. Winfrey launched the campaign January 15, and already, over 45,000 people have signed the pledge.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, close to 500,000 people are injured and 6,000 are killed each year as a result of drivers talking, texting, or e-mailing while behind the wheel.

“This sponsorship fits well with our brand. We encourage all drivers to operate their vehicles safely,” states Karen Barone, Agency Distribution leader. “In fact, we feel so strongly about this that Progressive employees are prohibited from using any electronic equipment, including cell phones, while driving on behalf of Progressive.”

For more information--or if you'e like to sign the pledge yourself--please visit www.oprah.com/nophonezone.

Another Teen Driver Tracking Device Hits the Market

Like many of the teen driver tracking devices, Tiwi will send a text, e-mail, or voice alert to the parent or guardian of the young driver.

Tiwi does have some other interesting features, however. It is situated on the windshield of the vehicle to give voice alerts when the driver violates things like speeding, hard turns, and seatbelt use. The placement of the Tiwi also allows an "e-Call" to to an emergency operator through the e-Call feature. Parents and guardians can also call directly to the unit to speak to the teen.

The device can be installed by the parent or can be installed for about $60, the website says; no information on operating cost was found.

Texting Ban Leaves Teens Frustrated and Targeted

New texting-while-driving laws in North Carolina, which went into effect December 1st, have some teens frustrated and feeling targeted.

The North Carolina newspaper, DailyAdvance, speaks with one girl about her texting habits. She admits to sending about 200 per day and texting while driving. But she's not the only one. The Pew Research Center released a study this month revealing that 1-in-4 American teens has sent a text message while driving.

19 states have jumped on board with the text-while-driving ban, but NC teens are feeling targeted.

Shanequa Riddick, 18, says she’s glad that law enforcement will be cracking down, but that text messaging has become a nationwide phenomenon, one that is catching on with all age groups.

“I think (the ban is) fair, because it could cause you to have an accident, but even older people do it,” Riddick says.

Kieshaih Holloway, 19, calls the focus on teen drivers “frustrating.”

“They say we have more problems with accidents and problems in the road. We’re just now learning (how to be safe drivers), but the whole texting thing (adults) make it just as big of a risk as we do,” Holloway says.

19 Year Old Driver Calls to Report Herself as Drunk Driver

According to a Washington State Patrol release, a 19-year-old Auburn woman was arrested for physical control of a motor vehicle while intoxicated after calling 911 to report herself as “very drunk” while stopped on the shoulder of state Route 167 in King County.

At about 5 a.m. Nov. 16, patrol communications received a cellular 911 call from Alysha McInnis claiming that she pulled to the shoulder of southbound SR 167 in Auburn because she was intoxicated and began to lose her vision. McInnis told the dispatcher that she was underage and very drunk. She advised the dispatcher that she was given alcohol at a party without her knowledge and her friends told her that she could call 911 to have the police come pick her up and take her to the hospital to detox.

When a trooper contacted McInnis, she claimed that her arm was numb and she had blurry vision. The trooper noted that McInnis had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech and appeared extremely intoxicated. The trooper observed a 20 ounce alcohol energy drink in the cup holder which contained 12 percent alcohol. McInnis advised the trooper that she was drinking the alcohol drink while driving and that she had drank four of the same drinks at the party.

After further investigation, the trooper believed all the symptoms she was experiencing were a result of the amount of alcohol she drank both at the party and on her way home.

McInnis was processed for physical control of a motor vehicle while intoxicated and transported to Auburn Regional Medical Center where she was released for detox treatment.


Thank you to PNWLocalNews.com