Cell Phone Use and Auto Insurance: How Your Mobile Phone Can Impact Your Insurance Premium

You’re on the road and your cell phone rings.  You know better than to pick it up while you’re driving if you don’t have your bluetooth or your hands-free headset.  But you have to at least know who’s calling.  So you take a glance at the little screen.  Traffic stops ahead, and bam! And you didn’t even answer the phone!

Have you gotten into texting lately like so many of us have?  It’s quick and easy.  Ever text while you’re driving?  I sure hope you answered no.  I saw a video going around on the Internet recently of a group of teenage girls in a car, the driver texting away.  She veers into oncoming traffic and you can just imagine the results.  It has haunted me for weeks.  (I have teenagers.)

Cell phones and driving don’t mix well.  They are distracting at best, and deadly at worst.  According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), more than 260 million Americans own cell phones now.  And who knows how many are using them on the road?

Is it better to go hands free?  Undoubtedly.  New York was the first state to pass a law banning hand-held cell phone use while driving way back in 2001.  Since then, some states have followed suit.  Others have banned cell phone use by some drivers completely, such as those under 18.  None has banned their use among all drivers.   Here is a summary of the state laws as of September 2009:

Current state of cell phone driving law highlights includes the following*:

•    Handheld Cell Phone Bans for All Drivers: 6 states (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington), the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands prohibit all drivers from talking on handheld cell phones while driving. With the exception of Washington State, these laws are all primary enforcement, meaning an officer may ticket a driver for using a handheld cell phone while driving without any other traffic offense taking place.

•    All Cell Phone Bans: No state completely bans all types of cell phone use (handheld and hands-free) for all drivers, but many prohibit cell phone use by certain segments of the population:
*   Novice Drivers: 21 states and the District of Columbia ban all cell use by novice drivers; 9 states prohibit text messaging.
*   School Bus Drivers: In 17 states and the District of Columbia, school bus drivers are prohibited from all cell phone use when passengers are present. One state restricts school bus drivers from texting while driving.
*   Text Messaging: 18 states and the District of Columbia now ban text messaging for all drivers.
*   Preemption Laws: 8 states have laws that prohibit local jurisdictions from enacting restrictions.  In 6 other states, localities are allowed to ban cell phone use.

Some states, such as Maine, New Hampshire and Utah treat cell phone use as a larger distracted driving issue.  Utah considers speaking on a cell phone to be an offense only if a driver is also committing some other moving violation (other than speeding).

For a table that shows the states that have cell phone laws, whether they specifically ban text messaging, and whether they are enforced as primary or secondary laws, (Under secondary laws, an officer must have some other reason to stop a vehicle before citing a driver for using a cell phone), see the website for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 


What do insurance companies have to say about cell phone use while driving?
As you can imagine, insurance companies are paying close attention to the link between cell phone use and car accidents and many auto insurance websites warn of the dangers of distracted driving.  Naturally, insurance companies don’t particularly like their insureds to use cell phones while behind the wheel. The risk of having an accident (and decreasing the insurer’s bottom line) goes up.  If you are ticketed for talking or texting while driving, or at fault for a car accident due to your use of a cell phone, chances are, your premium will increase.  If you are tagged for another violation along with it, like speeding, your driving record could catch a double whammy.  Too many tickets on your driving record will increase your car insurance rates and may result in your auto insurance company non-renewing your policy.

Distracted driving is unsafe driving.  Your best bet if you have to use a cell phone, is to pull over safely and stop.  Then make your call, answer your phone, or read your text message.  If you must talk while driving, be sure to make it hands free so you can keep both hands on the steering wheel.  Stay focused on the matter at hand—your driving, not your conversation.


*source: ghsa.org