Distracted Driving Statistics Facts [Updated 2024]

“3 people died in a car crash due to a distracted driver last night.”

This is how the news starts that you read on your phone while going to the office. But did it occur to you that what you are doing is also distracted driving? No, it didn’t.

That is the case with most of the drivers involved in distracted driving. According to a survey done by AAA, 94% of teens acknowledged that texting while driving is dangerous, but 35% admitted that they do it anyway. The later stats indicate that people are still not taking it seriously despite knowing how hazardous distracted driving is. 

Distracted Driving Facts: At A Glance

Distracted driving is not only concerned with cell phone use but there is much more to it. Anything that takes your attention away from driving is a part of the distraction. In this article, we will throw light on the types of distractions and all the possible factors that can divert your attention.

• Annually, Florida has the highest distracted driving fatalities in the US.
• 60% of near-crashes involve food and drink.
• Listening to music while driving is the most common type of distracted driving.
• Distracted driving can affect your insurance rates.

What Is Considered Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving can be any activity that distracts you from your primary task of driving and increases the risk of getting involved in accidents. These distractions further have four types. Let’s have a look at them. 

Visual

Visual distraction is anything that takes your eyes off the road. Imagine you are driving, and a billboard street sign catches you, and you take a few seconds to look at it; this is a distraction.  Seeing your friend across the road, looking at your GPS, checking your emails and messages, and looking at the person sitting in the passenger seat are also a few types of visual distractions. 

Auditory

Auditory distractions are sounds that cause drivers to take their attention off the road. According to a study, approximately 90% of people listen to music while driving. Listening to music in high-traffic situations helps in releasing stress. 

However, no matter how many benefits it has, listening to music while driving can be highly distracting if the music is aggressively loud. Listening to what other people in the car are saying is also an auditory distraction. 

Manual

Have you ever tried to take something from the backseat or adjust the radio station? If yes, then you have faced manual distraction already. These distractions are anything that causes you to let go of the wheel. You can lose control over your vehicle by taking your hands off the wheel, thus increasing your chance of getting into accidents. 

Cognitive

Cognitive distractions are much more dangerous than other types of distractions. We are all daydreamers, and there is nothing wrong with it. However, this can be risky if you are driving, and anything that takes the driver’s mind off the road is a cognitive distraction for you.

11 Top Distractions When Driving

Over the past few years, distracted driving has caused tens of thousands of deaths on a global scale. Several factors can divert a driver’s attention, but the most common ones lead to fatal accidents. Let’s go through them one by one. 

Cell Phone Use

Using a cell phone while driving is what you’ll see every second person. 23.6% of people text and drive at the same time. Based on studies, 4.1% of drivers aged between 25-34 feel high pressure to respond to their text messages, while 12.1% of people declared that they don’t feel any pressure. 

Around 21% of people end up dying due to being distracted by cell phones. No matter how important a call or text is, it is not worth risking lives, whether yours or others. Even if it’s urgent, it is better to pull over to use your cell phone. 

According to the study conducted by the Teen Driver Source, 42% of high school students admitted that they were texting or emailing while driving.

Gadgets

11.7% of drivers take selfies when driving. Also, taking selfies can slow reaction time by 38%, when compared to 23% when driving under the influence of cannabis. Other than cell phone use, more gadgets cause distracted driving, such as GPS trackers to get to a location. You have to keep your eyes both on the road and the GPS. 

Moreover, vloggers often take their cameras or cell phones with them and shoot wherever they go. It can also distract them because they have to make sure the camera records everything.

Adjusting Controls

Adjusting a radio, climate control, music navigation, making calls, and other infotainment systems also take drivers’ attention off the road. You can ask a front-seat passenger for it; if you are driving alone, you can pull over to make the adjustments. 

Drinking or Eating

52.5% of drivers are reported to eat and drink while driving. According to NHTSA, 65% of near-miss accidents occur when drivers are busy eating or drinking. 

Moreover, over 10,000 drivers died in crashes who were driving while drinking. No matter how late or hungry you are, avoid taking food or drinks as we are sure no one wants to take a bite of their burger here and swallow it in heaven. 

Fatigue

Always avoid driving when you are tired or feel fatigued. However, if that is not the choice, stop for a while, drink coffee, and start driving. A 15-30-minute nap would also be a great idea. But these are not permanent solutions; 7-8 hours of sleep is the only cure for your fatigue. But if you are on the road for a while and can’t concentrate, these tips will do the job for you. 

Lost In Thought

People drive on autopilot when they are in their thoughts, making them vulnerable to sudden and unexpected events, thus increasing the chances of getting into accidents. Over the past five years, up to 61% of distracted drivers were lost in thought. By staying “here and now,” you can avoid many accidents.

Applying Makeup

Now, this one mainly applies to women. 6.5% of drivers apply makeup while driving. In 2011, up to 3,000 people were killed due to drivers’ distractions by putting on makeup. If you like to make yourself presentable, try to take some time out to do your beauty task or pullover and start driving once you are ready. 

Handling Children or Pets

Your children and pets can be a big distraction for you. So, if you have children with you and those naughty ones, then make sure they are seated in the backseat with the seatbelt. Or at least have someone else to hold them because you can’t keep your eyes on your crying baby and the road simultaneously. 

In addition, if you are taking your pets with you, either secure them in the rear of your vehicle or use pet carriers.

Chatting With Passenger

Avoid chatting with other people in the car, especially if you need to pay attention or think. You can ask them to cooperate so that you won’t be distracted. Even if you are not driving, you should know how risky it is when the driver looks everywhere but the road. 

Road Rage

Driving with any emotions that interfere with your concentration is a risk to your life. Avoid driving whenever you are excited, angry, or feeling any other strong emotion. Your mind will not focus on the road, and it makes you prone to accidents. 

Smoking

Although smoking while driving is not illegal, it still can cause serious car injuries. According to AAA, if your smoking habit leads to an accident involving death, it is considered illegal, and you can be imprisoned. So, avoid smoking any type of cigar, vape pen, or cigarette.

Distracted Driving Statistics

Here are some startling statistics that show the number of accidents that are caused by distracted drivers and the average number of people who die in these accidents. 

Drunk Driving vs. Distracted Driving Statistics

Hundreds of car crashes occur almost every day, and about 2.5 million crashes involve distracted drivers. Most drivers use cell phones, and as per the studies, it takes the brain 13 seconds to refocus after using phones. Therefore increasing the cases of distracted driving. 

About 8 people die daily due to distracted drivers in the United States, and about 1,000 people suffer from injuries. People either eat, drink, or use cell phones, diverting their attention. Once diverted, it takes them a few seconds to focus again, and those seconds are enough to cause car crashes.

Apart from being distracted, 3.4% of people are involved in drinking and driving. More than 10,000 car crash fatalities result due to drunk drivers. 

Check Out Texting while Driving is More Dangerous than Drunk Driving: Study:

Teenage vs. Adult Distracted Driving Statistics

In the United States, car crashes are one leading cause of death among teenagers because almost 20.21% of teen drivers are distracted by using their cell phones—about 8% of drivers involved in distracted driving cases aged between 15 to 20. 

Moreover, based on a survey done in 2018, in the United States, about 25% of car crashes are caused by distracted drivers aged between 20-25 years.

Types of Distracted Driving Accidents

Fatal distracted driving accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries and even deaths. Here are the four types of these accidents. 

Rear-end Crashes

Rear-end crashes are the type of collision where one car hits the one in the front. It usually occurs when the traffic slows down, and the driver doesn’t notice the traffic signs and has to take sudden brakes.  

Car Pileups

This type of accident occurs when multiple cars pile up due to accidents or traffic. The driver is too distracted to notice or takes long enough to notice and crashes into them. 

Did You Know?: An unusual icy road condition caused a major car pile-up collision that happened on a Texas interstate last February 11, 2021.

Head-On Collisions

In a head-on collision, the front ends of two cars collide with each other. When a driver is lost in thought or looking at something on the road, it can cause it to run into other vehicles. 

Rollovers

Rollovers are the worst type of accidents that can occur on the road. Someone driving at dangerously high speed can control their car while turning. This causes the vehicle to tip over in a rollover crash. About 3% of road accidents are rollovers.

T-Bone Accidents

T-bone accidents are when an automobile collides head-first with the side of another car. When drivers are not looking at the road, they either roll through a stop sign or break a light. 

What Are The Signs Of A Distracted Driver?

There are five signs that can help you identify distracted driving attitudes. Let’s have a look at them.

Drinking, Eating, or Chewing

If you ever see a driver who is eating, drinking, or chewing anything while driving, the chances are high that the driver is not paying their full attention to the road.

Driving With An inconsistent Speed

When a person is too distracted, they cannot focus on the road. They would speed up and slow down continuously. If you see anyone doing so, that is your sign to know that they are watching a distracted driver. 

Interactions

When there are other people in the car, there are chances that they can catch the drivers’ attention. If a driver interacts with others, they might not be fully aware of their surroundings. 

Sudden Brakes

An average driver focuses on the road from start to end. However, if someone slams the brakes suddenly, they are either intoxicated or distracted, even though both are risky. 

Grabbing Something 

Another sign of a distracted driver is looking for something or grabbing something fallen from the dashboard or passenger seat. By doing so, their focus is on searching for that particular thing. 

Can Distracted Driving Tickets Affect Your Insurance Premium?

Yes, getting a driver’s ticket leads to a premium increase of $290 on an annual basis. However, violating distracted driving laws in some states can affect your driver’s budget. Penalties for a ticket might swing your insurance rates from $87 to $762 monthly. 

What To Do If You Are Involved With A Distracted Driver Accident?

Are you wondering what to do if you get involved in a distracted driver accident? If so, here are a few safety measures that you can take as someone involved in such cases, whether firsthand or second-hand.

• The first thing you have to do is see if you or anyone else in the car is injured.  
• If you see any minor or major injuries, call 911 immediately. Report to police about damages and injuries. Never leave the accident site without contacting the police. 
• Make sure you have everything with you: your identification, vehicle information, contact, and insurance details. Take notes about the time of the accident, road conditions, traffic lights location, and weather conditions. 
• Take photos of the damaged automobiles involved in an accident. 
• The last thing you have to do is call an attorney. Even if you are not guilty, a qualified and competent attorney will be beneficial. 

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Dealing with the dangers of distracted driving is a tough nut to crack. Still, you can do your part as a responsible driver and reduce the risks of accidents. 

However, the sad part is that people still text, eat, drink, and smoke while driving despite being aware of how fatal it can be. Although many safety measures ensure people avoid distracted driving behaviors, we still have a long way to go. 

References

https://www.idrivesafely.com/defensive-driving/trending/7-deadly-sins-distracted-driving-wrath-music
https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
https://www.teendriversource.org/teen-driver-source
https://www.thezebra.com/resources/research/distracted-driving-statistics/
https://www.burtoncopeland.com/news/fatal-consequences-taking-selfies-while-driving/