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A new study released by the Highway Loss Data Institute has found that, despite recent laws that have cropped up banning hand-held cell phones, the number of auto accidents have not decreased. The institute examined insurance claim records in D.C., New York, Connecticut and California, as well as other areas that lack cell phone bans.

Cell Phone Bans Don't Reduce Accidents

The method behind theresearch was to look at states that had hand-held cell phone bans for the longest periods of time. By comparing records from before and after the ban, the institute found that there was no change in crash trends before and after the laws were implemented.

In addition, the institute compared crash rates in states that do not have laws restricting driver cell phone use. They found that the crash rates were still similar.

Law Enforcement Policing Cell Phone Users

According to AAA Mid-Atlantic Auto Club in the D.C. area, police officers have increased the number of tickets and warnings they've issued to those talking on hand-held cell phones. To date, they have issued almost 13,000 tickets and 7,159 warnings.

Other areas have increased their number of ticket issues as well, including Chicago.

Distracted Driving is the Problem

New findings in a recent AAA study found that the ban on hands-free cell phone use should probably be extended to all use. In the study, they found that talking on hand-held cell phones is no safer than talking on hands-free cell phones. In essence, the problem doesn't lie with whether you're holding the phone, it lies in being distracted from the road.

However, as evidenced by the institute's study, drivers don't plan to slow down on their talking/texting while driving activities anytime soon. So for the others on the road who want to avoid higher auto insurance premiums and injuries due to crashes with distracted drivers, it may be time to enroll in some defensive driving classes.

A new report from KIAH-TV in Houston revealed that more teens might be waiting to obtain their driver's licenses because they can so easily communicate on Facebook. This is good news for parents who want to avoid high insurance bills - and maybe even drivers on the road who want to avoid reckless drivers.

Driving Not Necessary to Teens

According to the report, more teens are taking their time getting their driver's licenses than ever before. The report cited a study from the Department of Transportation that suggested nearly 30 percent of 16-year-olds nationwide got their license in 2008, as compared to nearly 45 percent in 1998.

A 20-year-old interviewed by KIAH-TV who had just received her license explained that Facebook made it so easy to connect with her friends that it was no longer necessary to visit them. Along with Facebook, some teens say that having a cell phone is more important to them than a car.

Good for Your Auto Insurance

Not to say that all teens are in danger of causing an accident, but tons of studies - and even auto insurance companies - deem younger drivers as a bigger threat on the road. This is why auto insurance premiums are so much higher for drivers under the age of 25.

The fact that many teens are waiting longer to could help keep the roads safer while helping to maintain low premiums for both their parents and other drivers on the road who could have run into them.

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