Insurance companies back NTSB’s call for driver texting, cellphone ban
An insurance industry trade group, representing about 300 insurers, says it supports the National Transportation Safety Boards call for a ban on texting and using cellphones while driving.
Leigh Ann Pusey, president and CEO of the American Insurance Association (AIA), said in a statement that the group supports the NTSBs recommendation for a nationwide ban on the non-emergency use of personal electronic devices (PEDs), including cell phones and text messaging devices, while driving.
“When you consider that driving is the most dangerous daily activity for the typical American, few issues are more important than our actions behind the wheel,” Pusey said. Distracted driving accounted for more than 3,000 road deaths last year, and research, according to Pusey, suggests that distracted driving can be equated to driving under the influence of alcohol.
“While we have made great strides in highway safety, more must be done,” she said. “This crisis is the newest challenge to the safety of everyone sharing our roads and highways.”
State Farm officials said distracted driving, based on its latest research, continues to grow.
The mobile web is a growing issue for safety advocates concerned about distractions while driving, said David Beigie, State Farm public affairs vice president, in a statement. Additionally, while the focus has been on young people, the data also indicates that motorists of all ages are increasing their use of the mobile web while driving.
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