Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)

July 29, 2009

Contact: Jonathan Adkins or Kara Macek
202-789-0942, ext. 13 or 14
202-669-9746, cell

To Ban or Not to Ban? Solutions to Cell Phone Use and Driving Require More
Research and Thoughtful Analysis

The following statement is attributable to Vernon F. Betkey, Jr., Chairman,

Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)

WASHINGTON, DC —This week's release of a landmark study on cell phone

use and distracted driving by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI)
provides important new data about the problem, but also raises significant
questions about countermeasures to address the dangers associated with cell
phone use and texting while driving.

Researchers at VTTI concluded that text messaging increased the risk of a crash
or near miss 23 times for heavy vehicle/truck operators. The findings were stated
to be applicable to drivers of light vehicles and cars. Surprisingly, the risk of
dialing a cell phone was significantly less than texting, while the risk of talking or
listening on a cell phone was almost negligible. Previous studies from the
University of Utah, Carnegie Mellon University and the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety placed a much higher risk on cell phone use.

GHSA has never doubted the dangers of cell phone use and texting while
driving. The Association focuses on a "no-use" message and seeks to restore
some common sense to driving. However, GHSA has not yet supported a
complete ban on the practice because of the difficulty of enforcing such laws.
We are pleased to learn that later this year the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) will conduct an enforcement demonstration project to
attempt to showcase how a state can effectively enforce a cell phone ban. GHSA
strongly supports this effort. Highway safety laws are only effective if they can be
enforced and if the public believes they will be ticketed for not complying. To
date, that has not been the case with many cell phone restrictions.

GHSA's full membership has not reviewed the organization's current cell phone
policy since 2006. Numerous studies and better data have become available
since that time and the Association will review our policy based on this new
information. With this data and the development of an effective enforcement
approach, I expect GHSA would support a total cell phone/texting ban. While
more research is being conducted to examine the effectiveness of laws and
development of other countermeasures, GHSA urges that:

* States ban all non-emergency cell phone use/text messaging for new drivers
including teen drivers. The bans for new drivers should be enforced primarily by
parents as part of graduated licensing laws. Fourteen states plus D.C. currently
have these laws.
* States include a category for cell phone/electronic equipment distraction on
crash investigation forms. At least 29 states plus D.C. currently include this
information.
* The federal government fund a media campaign to alert the public to the
dangers of distracted driving. This effort is needed to help develop a culture that
will make the practice socially unacceptable much the same way that drunk
driving has become with the vast majority of the public.
* The federal government continue to fund research on distracted driving,
particularly the effectiveness of various countermeasures and new technological
applications that would limit or eliminate distractions.
* Employers implement policies banning cell phone/texting use by all
employees during working hours.

Current Cell Phone Laws are posted online at:

www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html.

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The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)® is a nonprofit association
representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of
Columbia and Puerto Rico. GHSA provides leadership and representation for the
states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy and
enhance program management. Its members are appointed by their Governors
to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state
highway safety plans. Contact GHSA at 202-789-0942 or visit www.ghsa.org.

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