Do cell phone driver bans work?
In the first few months after New York’s highly publicized law took effect, cell phone usage among drivers had dropped by 50 percent, according to a study. But a year later, drivers seemed to return to their old behaviors, with nearly as many drivers using cell phones as before the law passed, as media emphasis waned, said a 2003 report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Mixed results cited by other states; Senate-passed bill faces uphill fight Opponents of the legislation question why it singles out cell phones, when drivers also eat, put on makeup or tune the radio, which can be just as distracting and can result in a citation if the behavior leads to an accident. And some question whether the law will be effective, when studies suggest that conversations, and not the devices, are what divert a driver’s focus. “There is some research that says it’s the intensity of the conversation that’s going to make the biggest difference and there is some validity to it,” said Steve L
