Distracted Drivers and Crash Fatalities

• In Event: Posters I

Abstract

This paper is concerned with legislative efforts to promote safer driving. Most research, drawing on deterrence and rational choice models, examines the effects of reductions of blood alcohol concentration [BAC] limits. In the late 1990s, many states introduced .08 legislation to secure drunk driving convictions and reduce the number of crash fatalities. This paper extends this work by investigating the impact of a recent ban on texting and driving within a large, eastern state. Preliminary results from the interrupted times series analyses show that the implementation of the texting ban had a lasting effect on driver and passenger fatalities. The implications of these findings for future research will be discussed.

Authors

• Mitch Chamlin, Texas State University

• Beth A. Sanders, Monmouth University