For years, people (politicians, drivers, the folks at Esurance) have speculated that talking on a cell phone while driving increases accident risk. Granted, it’s a pretty logical assumption — if you’re distracted, you can’t predict or react to hazards as quickly — but do handheld cell phone bans really work?
The short answer is “yes.”
Cell phone ban reduces injuries and fatalities
UC Berkeley’s Safe Transportation Research and Education Center looked at accident-related injuries and fatalities in California 2 years before and 2 years after the 2008 handheld cell phone ban. And what they found was a striking drop in both injuries and fatalities in the 2 years after 2008. Traffic fataliti
