AAA Campaign Aims to Pass Texting While Driving Bans in All 50 States by 2013; Together with Foundation Launches ‘Heads Up Driving Week’

New AAA Research Shows Reduced Texting by Drivers After California Law Takes Effect

Denver, September 25 - AAA and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety are launching new legislative and communications campaigns to reduce distracted driving and improve safety on our roadways. AAA today announced that the association will work to pass laws banning text messaging by drivers in all 50 states by 2013, citing strong public support for the laws, the danger of distracted driving, and new research by the Automobile Club of Southern California showing the impact of California’s texting ban. AAA Colorado is encouraging motorists to drive distraction-free for the week of October 5 - 11 as part of the inaugural Heads Up Driving Week: Try it for a week, do it for life.

Colorado passed a text messaging ban during the 2009 legislative session. Effective December 1, 2009, all drivers will be banned from texting while driving. Additionally, drivers under age 18 will be banned from all use of cell phones, including text messaging. Currently, 18 states and the District of Columbia have laws that address text messaging by all drivers. Two more states have laws that prohibit teens or other new drivers from texting while driving.

"AAA will lobby nationwide to pass laws in states that lack them and improve existing laws against texting while driving," said AAA President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet. "We’ll also continue our work through public education, driver training, and other safety programs to discourage motorists from engaging in the broad range of other distractions that tempt them while behind the wheel."

Recent high-profile texting crashes and a provocative PSA from the United Kingdom have brought the dangers of distracted driving, and texting while driving in particular, into the public spotlight. However, AAA Foundation research shows that approximately 1 in 5 U.S. drivers admit to texting while driving at least once in the last 30 days. Multiple surveys of the general public and AAA’s membership show that 80 to 90 percent of Americans support texting bans. AAA is advocating for laws that make it illegal for drivers of all ages to send, write, or read a text message or e-mail while their vehicle is in motion.

AAA study shows in-vehicle texting by drivers drops following ban

The AAA legislative push to enact texting while driving bans is supported by new research released today by the Auto Club of Southern California showing that the texting while driving ban implemented in California in January 2009 appears to be reducing texting by drivers.

Prior to the California texting while driving ban, researchers observed 1.4 percent of drivers at any point in time in Orange County, Calif. were texting while driving. Following the law taking effect, just 0.4 percent of drivers were observed texting—a decline of about 70 percent overall. This indicates that banning texting while driving can potentially change driving behavior of motorists, reduce dangerous distracted driving, and improve safety.

The popularity of texting has grown quickly over the past four years. According to the wireless industry trade association, CTIA, the number of monthly texting messages reached 110 billion at the end of 2008, a more than 11-fold increase in three years. Studies have shown texting while driving to be an extremely dangerous distraction for drivers due to the extended time drivers spend not looking at the road.

AAA Foundation encourages drivers to participate in Heads-Up Driving Week

The AAA Foundation, AAA and AAA Colorado call on all drivers to pledge their participation in Heads Up Driving Week spanning Monday, Oct. 5 through Sunday, Oct. 11. "We are asking everyone to rethink their driving behavior and take the first step toward becoming distraction-free by trying it for a week and doing it for life," said AAA Foundation President and CEO Peter Kissinger. By participating, drivers vow to eliminate distractions behind the wheel and sign a pledge committing to distraction-free driving for Heads Up Driving Week and beyond. To sign the pledge, view 10 tips on how to eliminate distractions and learn the facts about distracted driving, visit AAAFoundation.org.

AAA Colorado has more than 525,000 members and is an advocate for safety and security for all travelers. As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides nearly 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services, as well as member-exclusive savings. AAA can be visited on the Internet at www.AAA.com