Study: distracted driving laws don't stop crashes

(AP) -- A new study from the insurance industry finds that state laws banning wireless calling or texting while driving have not resulted in fewer vehicle crashes.

The study, conducted by the Highway Loss Data Institute and released Friday, examined insurance claims from crashes before and after such bans took effect in California, New York, Connecticut and Washington, D.C.

The organization finds that claims rates have not gone down after the laws were enacted. It also finds no change in patterns compared with other states without such bans.

The Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, says its findings "don't match what we already know about the risk of phoning and texting while driving" and says it is gathering data to "figure out this mismatch."

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