A Guide to Distracted Driving Statistics in the United States

Did you know that thousands of Americans are killed as a result of distracted driving every year?

Distracted driving refers to any activity that diverts attention from driving. This may include texting or talking on the phone, drinking and eating, talking to passengers, and playing around with the car's navigation or entertainment systems. Effectively, it refers to activities that distract a driver from driving safely.

In this blog post, we will highlight the important distracted driving statistics you should be aware of. Let's get started with this guide to distracted driving statistics in the United States.

Distracted Driving Statistics to Be Aware Of

On average, 9 people are killed every day in crashes that involve a distracted driver, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means that more than 3,100 people are killed every year in the United States in crashes involving distracted drivers. In terms of injuries, more than 420,000 people sustain injuries in related accidents each year.

It is reported that around 1 in 5 of the people who are killed in crashes involving a distracted driver are not in vehicles. These people were either pedestrians, riding bikes, or otherwise outside a vehicle at the time of the accident.

It's important to note that some groups are more at risk for distracted driving than others. In fatal crashes involving distracted drivers, for example, a higher percentage of people aged between 15 and 20 years were distracted than those over the age of 20.

Almost 1 in 10 drivers (9%) aged between 15 and 20 years were distracted at the time of a fatal crash in 2019, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

What Are the Different Types of Distracted Driving?

There are 3 main types of distracted driving you should be aware of. The first of these is visual, referring to any activity that causes a person to take their eyes off the road. An example of this is texting and driving.

The second is manual, referring to any activity that causes a person to take their hands off the wheel. For example, playing around with the car's entertainment system.

The third distraction is cognitive. This refers to when a person takes their mind off driving, such as when they are day-dreaming.

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Guide to Distracted Driving Statistics in the US

As the above information highlights, distracted driving is a big issue, which results in thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of injuries per year. To prevent distracted driving, remember to always pay full attention to the road when driving.

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