Distracted Driving Statistics & Facts In 2024 (2024)

Although most people recognize distracted driving as a problem, not everyone has the same definition of what it means to be distracted. Most people think of talking on a cell phone or texting, but distracted driving can go beyond these behaviors.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified three kinds of distracted driving.[1] They are:

• Visual distractions that cause you to take your eyes away from the road. This can include using a GPS, looking at a billboard, rubbernecking an accident, checking out the scenery or even looking at other cars surrounding you instead of those directly in your path and adjacent to you.
• Manual distractions that cause you to remove your hand from the wheel. Behaviors such as eating while driving, using your phone, changing the radio station or reaching for something in the car are all examples of manual distractions.
• Cognitive distractions that take your mind off of driving. Singing, talking, daydreaming or worrying all fall into this category.

The following distracted driving statistics illustrate just how dangerous motorists can be when they take their focus from the road.

About 3,000 People Die in Auto Accidents Due to Distracted Driving Every Year

Each year, approximately 3,000 people lose their lives to car accidents resulting from distracted drivers. This accounts for between 8% and 9% of all fatal motor vehicle collisions on roads across the United States.[2]

3,142 People Died Because of Distracted Driving in 2020

In 2020, 3,142 people died in collisions involving distracted driving. This included 396 fatalities in which a cell phone was being used at the time of the crash. While many people assume cell phones are the leading cause of distracted driving fatalities, many other behaviors can be equally dangerous. [2]

2,880 Fatal Accidents in 2020 Involved a Distracted Driver

Although 3,142 people died in distracted-driving-related crashes, this does not mean there were a total of 3,142 separate collisions. In fact, there were just 2,880 total crashes resulting from driver distraction. The fact that the death toll is higher than the number of independent collisions demonstrates that some collisions caused multiple fatalities. [2]

8% of Fatal Car Accidents Are Due to Distracted Driving

Since 2016, between 8% and 9% of fatal crashes have involved distracted driving. In 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, these collisions accounted for 8% of deadly accidents. [5]

While this is a far lower percentage of crashes than impaired driving, which accounts for approximately 30% of all fatal accidents, it still reflects the extreme risk presented by driver distraction. [3]

9 People Die Everyday From Distracted Driving

Distracted driving costs lives throughout the year. A total of nine people die every day in the United States from distracted driving. [2]

587 Pedestrians and Cyclists Were Killed in Distracted Driving Auto Accidents in 2020

It is not just drivers in motor vehicles who are affected by distracted driving. Pedestrian accidents are also common. A total of 587 pedestrians and bicycle riders lost their lives in 2020 as a result of actions caused by inattention. These non-occupants may have lost their lives to drivers who were not paying attention or may have been distracted and made dangerous choices that contributed to collisions. [2]

324,652 Were Injured in Car Accidents Due to Distracted Driving in 2020

Not all distracted driving crashes are fatal. But driver inattention can also result in collisions that cause serious injury. The toll of driver distraction is far greater when considering crashes that caused injury but were not fatal. In fact, 324,652 people were hurt in distracted driving crashes in 2020. [2]

Drivers Spend an Average of 1:38 Minutes on Their Phones Per Hour of Driving

This reflects a 30.3% increase in phone use while driving compared with February of 2020—the last month before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drivers may have become more dependent on phones as a source of information and communication during COVID lockdowns, which translates to more phone use while operating a vehicle. [4]

The Most Distracted Driving Happens Between 6 and 11 p.m.

Distracted driving is a problem at all hours, but inattention increases in the evening. In fact, between 6 and 11 p.m., drivers were distracted for an average of 1:56 minutes per driving hour. [4]

The Least Distracted Driving Happens Between 6 and 9 a.m.

There is some good news. Drivers are typically more focused on the road during their morning commute. Between the hours of 6 and 9 a.m., motorists are distracted for only an average of 1:04 minutes per hour of driving. This is nearly half as much time for unfocused driving as evening hours. [4]

Cell Phone Use Was Involved in 12% of Car Accidents

While there are many causes of driver distraction, cell phones remain a major obstacle to focused driving. The National Traffic Safety Administration reports that phone use is involved in 12% of all car accidents on U.S. roadways. [2]

Taking Your Eyes off the Road for 5 Seconds at 55 mph Is Equivalent to Traveling the Length of a Football Field Without Looking

Many drivers do not realize how far they can travel even when distracted for a brief period. The reality is, motorists can drive the equivalent of an entire football field blind if they take their eyes off the road for just five seconds when they are traveling at 55 mph. With so much ground covered, it’s not a surprise that the risks of a crash are high when motorists lose focus. [1]

While more than 29,000 people have died since 2012, fatal driving crashes have dropped since 2016.

Over 29,000 People Have Died Because of Distracted Driving Since 2012

Between 2012 and 2020, more than 29,000 people have lost their lives in crashes related to driver distraction. [5] This is despite driver education programs such as the NHTSA’s “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” campaign aimed at illustrating the risks and costs of driver inattention on the road.

Since 2016, Fatal Distracted Driving Crashes Have Decreased by 1%

Although distracted driving remains a serious problem, there has been a 1% decrease in distracted driving collisions since 2016. However, because the percentage of collisions related to driver inattention has shifted between 8% and 9% in recent years, this may not reflect a broader trend toward safer behaviors on the road. [2]

Some drivers are much more likely than others to be distracted behind the wheel.

25- to 34-Year-Olds Are Involved in the Most Distracted Driving Fatal Car Accidents

In 2020, 729 drivers between the ages of 25 and 34 were involved in fatal collisions. Here’s how this compares to other groups who were also in deadly crashes due to driver inattention. [1]

6% of Distracted Driving Fatalities Included a Teenager (15-19 Years Old)

Young drivers may be more connected to technology than their older counterparts and less able to access and respond to risks on the road. This helps to explain why 265 people died in motor vehicle accidents involving a distracted teen driver in 2020. [6]

44% of Distracted Driving Auto Accidents Including a Teenager Resulted in a Teenage Fatality (15-19 Years Old)

When teens are distracted behind the wheel, these drivers or their young peers are often harmed by driver inattention. In fact, in 44% of distracted driving accidents that resulted in fatalities, the deceased victim was between 15 and 19 years old. These tragic crashes resulted in 186 teens dying due to driver distraction in 2020. [6]

With cell phones a leading cause of distraction-related accidents, it’s important to understand the impact of cell phones on driver attention.

2.5% of Drivers Hold Their Phone to Their Ear While Driving

Despite most new vehicles offering opportunities for hands-free phone use, many drivers do not take advantage of these technologies. In fact, 2.5% of drivers hold their phones to their ears while driving. This means that at any given moment in the United States, approximately 373,066 people are holding their cell phones to their ears while operating motor vehicles. [7]

Women Are More Likely to Use a Cellphone While Driving

Both men and women use cell phones while driving, but women are slightly more likely than men to practice this high-risk behavior. Three percent of female drivers used their phones while operating their vehicles in 2021, compared with 2.2% of their male counterparts. [7]

Cell Phone Usage While Driving Is Down Over the Last Decade

There is some good news when it comes to cell phone use behind the wheel. While 2.5% of drivers used their cell phones while operating a vehicle in 2021, this number is less than half of the 5.2% of drivers using their phones in 2012. [7]

Using Touchscreens While Driving Is Up in the Last Decade

Although cell phone use has declined since 2012, drivers are faced with new distractions thanks to the rise of infotainment systems and in-vehicle screens. Due to this new technology, using devices while driving increased from 1.5% in 2012 to 3.4% in 2021. [7]

People Aged 16 to 24 Are Most Likely to Use Their Cellphones While Driving

Younger drivers are more likely than their older counterparts to engage in phone use while behind the wheel. In fact, 3.7% of drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 held their phones to their ears while driving in 2021 compared with 2.5% of people aged 25 to 69 and 0.7% of motorists 70 and older.

The good news, though, is that phone use has declined among all age groups. In 2012, 5.9% of drivers ages 16 to 24 held their phones, so there has been a significant decline in this distracting behavior even among the highest-risk group. [7]

People Use Their Phone While Driving in Poor Weather Conditions

Adverse weather conditions are also not a deterrent to holding a cell phone to their ear for some drivers. In fact, bad weather may make cell phone use more likely to occur, with 2.4% of drivers using their devices in clear weather compared to 3% who admit to phone use when weather conditions are not clear. [7]

Drivers in the South Are the Most Likely to Use Their Phone While Driving

Drivers in the South are nearly twice as likely to hold their phones to their ears compared with Western drivers. In the South, 3.1% of motorists have held devices to their ears behind the wheel, compared with 2.9% in the Midwest, 1.8% in the Northeast and 1.6% in the West. [7]

Drivers With Passengers Under the Age of 8 Are the Most Likely to Use Their Phone While Driving

Motorists with small children in their cars are more likely to hold their phones to their ears compared with those who have older passengers.

A total of 5% of drivers with passengers under 8 years old have used phones while driving, compared with 1% of motorists with passengers over the age of 8 and 2.1% of drivers with passengers who are both under and over 8. [7]

The risks of distracted driving are not the same across the United States. There are substantial differences in the percentage of fatalities resulting from distracted driving from one location to the next.

New Mexico Has the Highest Rate of Fatal Car Accidents Due to Distracted Driving

New Mexico was the most dangerous state for distracted-driving-related accidents in 2020. In total, 139 fatal crashes in the state involved inattentive drivers. These collisions accounted for 38% of all deadly car accidents statewide. [8]

Mississippi Has the Lowest Rate of Fatal Car Accidents Due to Distracted Driving

Mississippi is by far the safest state for motorists when it comes to distracted driving. Just 10 fatal collisions in the state involved inattentive drivers in 2020, and these crashes accounted for only 1.46% of deadly car crashes in the state. [8]

Most states have taken steps to prevent driver distraction, although the restrictions vary considerably. While some locations have taken a harder stance on restricting all phone use, others focus on texting and driving due to the higher risk this behavior presents.

24 States Have Banned Handheld Cell Phone Use While Driving

A total of 24 states, along with Washington, D.C. and numerous U.S. territories have outright banned all handheld cell phone use. Locations with a ban include: [7]

• Arizona
• California
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Georgia
• Guam
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Oregon
• Puerto Rico
• Rhode Island
• Tennessee
• US Virgin Islands
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• Washington, D.C.
• West Virginia

48 States Have Laws Banning Texting and Driving

While less than half of states have entirely banned handheld phone use, the majority of locations throughout the U.S. do have prohibitions on texting and driving. This includes every state other than Missouri and Montana. U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands also have bans. [7]

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