New York State has now banned, and many other states and communities are considering banning, the use of hand-held cellular telephones while driving. Case-like discussion of a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of such bans offers instructive challenges to public policy students. They and the public at large, seem quite willing to dismiss the large benefits of mobile cell phone use indicated by consumers willingness-to-pay and to prefer a policy determination based on a largely intuitive assessment of the risks of distracted driving. It is valuable for them to explore why they tend toward thinking that way how rigorous cost-benefit studies apply in such a context, and what related concepts we could apply to analogous cases. While there is no specific case on this topic, there is an excellent and recent CBA written by highly respected regulatory analysts associated with the Brookings/AEI Joint Center on Regulatory Studies (Hahn et al., 2000). I suggest using this as a case in a policy analysis course when focusing on cost-benefit analysis. Since many counties and states around the country are considering whether to ban handheld cell phone use while driving, instructors might be able to tie this CBA to actual decisions in their jurisdictions.
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