Congratulations on not dying, Californians. Your continued lifespan may be attributed to your cut-back on cellphone use while driving.
According to a study released by the California Office of Traffic Safety today, deaths due to hand-held cell phone use by drivers dropped following the enactment of the hands-free legistlation.
The Safe Transportatoin Research and Education Center at the University of California, Berkeley found that overall traffic deaths went down by 22 percent, two years after the law went into effect, versus two years prior. They also found that hand-held cell phone driver deaths dropped 47 percent.
“It’s clear that most California drivers ‘get it.’ They understand just how dangerous distracted driving is, and most are doing their part to make the highway safer,” said State Senator Joe Simitian, who authored the legislation.
“But we also know that there are still too many drivers texting and talking on hand-held cell phones. For drivers who still haven’t gotten the message, studies like this help underscore the fact that no phone call or text is worth the cost of a life,” Simitian added.
