Citation

Ferdinand AO, Menachemi N, Blackburn JL, Sen B, Nelson L, Morrisey M. Am. J. Public Health 2015; 105(5): 859-865.

Affiliation

At the time of this study, Alva O. Ferdinand and Michael Morrisey were with the Department of Health Policy and Management, Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health, College Station, TX. Nir Menachemi, Justin L. Blackburn, Bisakha Sen, and Leonard Nelson were with the Department of Health Care Organization and Policy, University of Alabama, Birmingham.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, American Public Health Association)

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2014.302537

PMID

25790409

Abstract

We used a panel design and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 19 states between 2003 and 2010 to examine the impact of texting bans on crash-related hospitalizations. We conducted conditional negative binomial regressions with state, year, and month fixed effects to examine changes in crash-related hospitalizations in states after the enactment of a texting ban relative to those in states without such bans.

RESULTS indicate that texting bans were associated with a 7% reduction in crash-related hospitalizations among all age groups. Texting bans were significantly associated with reductions in hospitalizations among those aged 22 to 64 years and those aged 65 years or older. Marginal reductions were seen among adolescents. States that have not passed strict texting bans should consider doing so. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print March 19, 2015: e1-e7. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302537).

Language: en