Assessing the Impact of Hands-Free Georgia on Serious Motor Vehicle Accidents

Abstract

Background

Hands-Free Georgia Law (HB673) was designed to prevent motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) by banning drivers from using their hands for non-driving-related activities, including cell phone use. We investigate HB673 effect on trauma activations secondary to MVCs in Georgia.

Methods

The Georgia Trauma Registry (GTR) was queried for MVCs from 2017 to 2019, representing the 18 months prior and following implementation of HB673. The number of MVCs for each period and severity of MVC designated by the average injury severity score (ISS) for each trauma activation were collected.

Results

Prior to implementation, a total of 43 080 traumas were recorded in GTR, 11 111 (25.8%) were attributed to an MVC. Following implementation, 12 130 (23.6%) occurred secondary to MVCs. Statewide MVC-related traumas per 1000 residents increased from 1.07 to 1.14 with increased mortality rate and unchanged median ISS per MVC.

Conclusions

The Hands-Free Georgia Law seems to have not had a major reduction in mortality in its early implementation.

Keywords

Hands-Free Laws motor vehicle collision texting and driving driving safety

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

National Center for Statistics and Analysis . 2018 fatal motor vehicle crashes: Overview.(Traffic Safety Facts Research Note. Report No. DOT HS 812 826). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; 2019.

Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety . n.d.. Retrieved from: https://www.gahighwaysafety.org/research/. Accessed June 18, 2020.

National Safety Council . Driver safety public opinion poll. http://www.nsc.org/NewsDocuments/2017/Driver-Safety-Poll.pdf. Accessed August 14, 2017.

Singh

. Critical reasons for crashes investigated in the national motor vehicle crash causation survey (Traffic Safety Facts Crash Stats. Report No. DOT HS 812 115). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; 2015. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812115

National Center for Statistics and Analysis . Summary of motor vehicle crashes (Final edition): 2015 data. (Traffic Safety Facts. Report No. DOT HS 812 376). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; 2020.

Hands Free Georgia Law (HB673) . Georgia department of driver services. n.d.. Retrieved from: https://dds.georgia.gov/press-releases/2018-05-25/hands-free-georgia-law-hb673. Accessed June 18, 2020.

Cellular Phone Use and Texting While Driving Laws . https://www.ncsl.org/research/transportation/cellular-phone-use-and-texting-while-driving-laws.aspx. Accessed September 22, 2020.

National Center for Statistics and Analysis . Children: 2015 Data (Traffic Safety Facts. Report No. DOT HS 812 383). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; 2017. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/Publication/812383

Hersman

DAP

Rosekind

. The road to zero deaths from motor vehicle crashes. JAMA Intern Med. 2017;177(12):1717–1718. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.5320

10.

Georgia Central Trauma Registry . Georgia department of public health. n.d.. Retrieved from: https://dph.georgia.gov/georgia-central-trauma-registry. Accessed June 18, 2020.

11.

Baker

O’Neill

Haddon

Jr Long

. The injury severity score: A method for describing patients with multiple injuries and evaluating emergency care. J Trauma. 1974;14(3):187–196.

12.

Wickert

Kristal Dixon

TAJC

. Georgia’s distracted driving law turns 1: Has anything changed? Ajc. n.d.. Retrieved from: https://www.ajc.com/news/state–regional-govt–politics/georgia-distracted-driving-law-turns-has-anything-changed/3u2fgUriLW7lsQhbT80iGN/. Accessed June 18, 2020.

13.

United States Census Bureau . Georgia QuickFacts. 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/GA/PST045219#

14.

United States Census Bureau . Population, population change, and estimated components of population change: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2019 (NST-EST2019-alldata). 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/time-series/demo/popest/2010s-state-total.html

15.

National Center for Statistics and Analysis . 2017 Quick Facts. (Traffic Safety Facts. Report No. DOT HS 812 747). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; 2019.

16.

“Motor Vehicle Safety Data.”

Motor Vehicle Safety Data, Bureau of Transportation Statistics. www.bts.gov/content/motor-vehicle-safety-data

17.

“On The Road.”

Fatality Estimates. 2020. www.nsc.org/road-safety/safety-topics/fatality-estimates