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Study after study shows that distracted drivers are far more likely to get into accidents, which has led a number of states to craft laws intended to limit one of the most significant distractions: the cell phone. Initial efforts focused on keeping both hands on the wheel by mandating hands-free use, but more recent versions have cracked down on texting while driving. Now, a study of accident rates indicates that the bans may not be having the desired effect, as accident rates may actually be increasing in some states that have enacted them.

The study was done by the Highway Loss Data Institute, a nonprofit that is supported by auto insurers and has access to their data on accident claims. This isn't the first time that the HLDI has waded into this territory; earlier this year, it performed an essentially identical study on accident rates that followed cell phone bans, and also concluded that the legislation had little effect. (Other studies indicate that there may be strong regional effects that are missed in statewide analyses.)

The work relies on insurance figures for collision claims as a measurement of driving safety, and a simple comparison technique: take a state that enacted a texting ban, and find nearby states that haven't, and compare them to see whether the ban has had any impact. So far, 30 states have put bans in place, so there should be a fair number of comparisons to be made. Unfortunately, there actually aren't. Most of the states enacted laws too late to provide decent data for post-ban accident rates, while a few of the remaining states made other changes to driving laws that could obscure the effect of the texting prohibition.

When all the problem states were removed, the HLDI was left with a grand total of four states: California, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Washington. So, to say that all bans are ineffective is a bit of a stretch, given that very few of the 30 states that have enacted them are included in this survey.

ARS Technica has the details HERE!