I don't know about any studies done as far as texting goes, but I have seen, recently (and I wish I could find the article), that there has been no change in hiway safety where cell phone use has been banned. It suggests that cell phones are not a hazard to safety on the hiway. (Or, it suggests that cell phones are still being used in spite of the law)

"University of Utah psychology professor David Strayer, in a study on cell phone use and auto accidents, said, "If you put a 20-year-old driver behind the wheel with a cell phone, their reaction times are the same as a 70-year-old who is not using a cell phone." Strayer's study was published in the quarterly journal Human Factors.

Each year, cell phone distraction while driving causes approximately 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries in the United States. Because data on cell phone use is somewhat limited, the actual numbers of deaths and injuries may be much higher. Strayer and his colleagues have found that even hands-free cell phone use distracts drivers. They explain that the drivers are looking but they're not really seeing because they are distracted by the conversation they are engaged in.

According to this study, scientists found that motorists talking on cell phones while driving are less adept than drunk drivers with blood alcohol levels beyond the legal limit of .08. The cell phone users' impaired reactions involved seconds, not just fractions of seconds, so stopping distances increased by car-lengths, not feet."

see: Helping us to Drive Safely - Stop Texting While Driving - Cell Phones Becoming Common Road Hazard

Even the Mythbusters showed the problem of driving and the cell phone in Episode 33.

I'm sure someone would say driving while using a cell phones but I think the studies have proven it isn't true.

kc0iv

Kranky, train engineers are not supposed to be on a cellphone in anyway while on duty and as Hobo said, it's been that way for a while.

It simply said that safety has not improved in areas where cellphone use is banned. It said that either cellphone use is not as hazardous as stated, OR people are continuing to use them in spite of the ban.

Me? Distracted? C'mon!

Caught on Tape: Truck Destroys Footbridge | WNCT

Wind, I would say it's the 2nd choice, they are still being used anyways. I see it enough during the day around here where cellphone use isn't totally banned that would lead one to believe it is as dangerous as someone who is legally drunk. I had one this morning in front of me on a cellphone that swerved into a right turn only lane then swerved right back out of it and stood on the brakes even though the vehicles in front were still moving at their original pace. He would not get within 500 ft of them without standing on the brakes and we were doing 35 at the time. Went to get on the interstate and a cop was sitting there with a car in the median, same guy about drove into the median on the ramp craning his head to look while still on the phone. Soon as he got on the interstate, zoomed to the left lane and was hammer down and still yapping away on the phone.

I do have a question about how this law is worded. I have not seen it myself, and would like to know.

Does the law specifically state "Cellphones", or does it say "HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICES"?

I believe you will agree that the wording is very important. If it says "HAND-HELD DEVICES", that would include your CB mic, the tape recorder that you might be using to record state lines, etc.

Just how big a door did they open for themselves?