DOT Pilot Projects Demonstrate Power of Focused Efforts to Combat Distracted Driving

BLOOMINGTON, IL--July 11, 2011: United States Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today released the findings of two pilot projects measuring the effectiveness of tough laws, increased enforcement and highly visible public education campaigns on distracted driving. The findings pointed to significant reductions in distracted driving behaviors as a result of these pilot projects.

"We applaud Secretary LaHood for his leadership on this important issue," said Brian Boyden, State Farm Executive Vice President. "The DOT's efforts to reduce distracted driving behaviors are an important step forward in this fight. The ultimate goal that everyone is working on is to reduce crashes."

Syracuse, New York, and Hartford, Connecticut, received grants to study the effectiveness of a three-pronged approach to reduce distracted driving: tough laws, high-visibility enforcement and continuous public education. Before-and-after observations and surveys showed significant declines in illegal cell phone use behind the wheel.

State Farm has long been a proponent of a comprehensive approach to tackling the problem of distracted driving and its threat to the lives and safety of millions of drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

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State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. Our 17,800 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts -- more than 78 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 37 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies.