MISSOURI, USA — According to a new study, Missouri drivers spent less time handling their phones this month than before the Siddens Bening Hands-Free Law passed last month.
Citing research from Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), AAA announced drivers were spending an average of 1 minute and 45 seconds every hour behind the wheel holding their phone in August.
Editor's note: The video above is from Aug. 26.
Now CMT reported that the average has dropped to 1 minute and 42 seconds. This analysis includes driving data from 1.2 million trips across the state from Aug. 29 through Sep. 24.
The law, which requires hands-free phone use for all drivers, went into effect on August 28. Experts believe Missouri has helped prevent 80 crashes and almost 2 million in economic damages so far.
Nearly 200,000 crashes related to distracted driving from 2012 to 2021 have killed 800 people, said the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety.
"The enactment of Missouri's Siddens Bening Hands-Free Law marks a crucial step toward enhancing traffic safety, with the potential to save numerous lives," said Angela Nelson, Vice President of Public Affairs and Government Relations at AAA Missouri. "While we are encouraged to see that drivers are choosing to eliminate phone distraction behind the wheel, it’s imperative we all make that personal commitment to reach our goal of 100% reduction in distracted driving."
Missouri is the 28th state to introduce hands-free legislation and the fourth in 2023 after Ohio, Alabama, and Michigan.
To read the full CMT driving report for 2023 click here.
The Economic and Societal Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes report of 2019 estimates based on the change in crash rate from distracted driving and data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.