Are Drivers Texting To Death?

In December of 2011, the National Transportation Safety Board advised that there should be a ban on the use of “portable electronic devices” by automobile drivers. This is a relevant suggestion, but is it really one that is going anywhere? How many vehicles do you see on the highways and streets where the driver has one hand holding a cell phone to their ear?
People have so much to say, they can’t seem to lay their phones down even for a few minutes. Many drivers consider the use of the cell phone while operating a vehicle as a way to maximize their time or simply entertain themselves; but at what cost?
As you might expect, if the NTSB is questioning texting and talking at the wheel, the insurance companies have already placed it as a target. There are many states with laws against texting while driving, but there are no clear lines as to how to enforce it. Should insurance companies decide not to pay claims resulting from texting, it might get the public’s attention.
The Stance of the Insurance Provider
We must remember that insurance is purchased for the policyholder’s protection, whether he/she is at fault or not. Accidents are caused; they don’t just happen. The insurance company expects to pay for mistakes made by drivers, even if the driver is breaking the law when the accident occurs.
When a driver runs over a pedestrian while he/she is texting on a cell phone, the insurance provider can’t refuse to cover the person who was hurt just because the policyholder was in the wrong, although the driver can pretty much count on having their policy cancelled for being a higher risk.
Undeniably, there needs to be something done about accidents caused by texting, but there are many other mistakes drivers make that are just as deadly. An insurance company that begins to list a great many driver mistakes it won’t pay for is not going to be getting many policies.
What Can Be Done
Insurance companies spend a great deal of their budgets on education, and this is still the best way to instigate change. That education isn’t just at the policyholder level either. Government officials, congressional representatives, the courts, and everyone else should receive the word on why accidents happen and how they can be prevented.
The message won’t be taken to heart by everyone, but safety can’t be dictated in the first place if others don’t try to contribute to the cause, whether it is by educating their children or working with others so a louder voice is heard.