Davis Law Group, P.S.

Will The Hands-Free Cell Phone Law Save Lives In Washington

A new study on the impact of cell phone usage while driving found laws requiring hands-free calling could reduce traffic fatalities by 300. The study comes as Washington State drivers prepare for a state-wide mandate for hands-free calling.

According to one study, the law set to go into effect July 1, might save 300 lives, but only when driving in bad weather. Previous studies had suggested driving while using a cellphone could increase the likelihood of a traffic accident by a factor of four.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which helped with foreign studies focusing on cell phone usage while driving, disputes whether hands-free cell phone calling will matter.

"Once people are talking on the phone, the distraction seems to be approximately equal," Adrian Lund, president of the nonprofit group, told the Wall Street Journal.

We have addressed this issue before in our blog.  And we also have numerous studies and articles on this topic in our firm library.