Distracted Driving Statistics (2025)

Cellphones aren’t the only distraction causing crashes. Simply reaching for objects while driving makes a car accident nine times more likely.

Cassie Sheets
Written byCassie Sheets
Cassie Sheets
Cassie Sheets
  • 9 years writing data-driven content

  • Lifestyle contributor to 30+ local news sites

Cassie Sheets has a background in home and garden and real estate content. At Insurify, she translates industry jargon into insights that empower insurance buyers.

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Evelyn Pimplaskar
Evelyn PimplaskarEditor-in-Chief, Director of Content
  • 10+ years in insurance and personal finance content

  • 30+ years in media, PR, and content creation

Evelyn leads Insurify’s content team. She’s passionate about creating empowering content to help people transform their financial lives and make sound insurance-buying decisions.

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Distracted driving is deadly driving. In 2023, distractions behind the wheel caused 3,275 traffic fatalities and 324,819 injuries, according to the most recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data.[1] And 8% of all fatal car crashes that year involved driver distraction.

In 2023, distracted driving deaths fell slightly from the year before. But overall, the number of people killed in distracted driving crashes remained relatively consistent between 2019 and 2023.

Every driver can help solve the problem of distracted driving. The following article explores common driving distractions, how distracted driving affects car insurance rates, and the prevalence of distracted driving behaviors, so you can protect yourself and your passengers.

What is distracted driving?

Distracted driving is a type of inattention that occurs whenever motorists stop paying attention to driving to focus on another activity.

Driving is a cognitively challenging task that requires 100% of your attention. Tasks that divert your attention away from the road — from changing the radio station to responding to a text — are dangers that increase your risk of a car crash.

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Types of driver distractions

Driver distraction was a factor in 13% of all motor vehicle traffic accidents reported to law enforcement in 2023, according to NHTSA data.

Most drivers understand the dangers of texting on the road, but not all distractions are obvious.[2] For example, 48% of drivers admitted to eating and drinking behind the wheel, according to a survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. But having a snack while driving can increase crash risks by nearly 2%.

Here’s how three common driver distractions increase your risk of an accident.

Cellphone use

In 2023, 369 traffic accidents involved at least one driver using a cellphone, killing 397 people, according to NHTSA data. Crashes involving cellphone use represent 12% of all deadly distraction-affected accidents.

Drivers who use cellphones are more than three times more likely to be in a car accident, according to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) research. And making a handheld call increases crash speeds by 31%, according to Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT).

Cellphone Action
sort ascsort desc
Increase in Crash Risk
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Dialing12%
Texting6%
Reaching for phone5%
Browsing the internet3%
Talking2%
Source: NHTSA

Vehicle controls

Using vehicle controls is one of the most common driving distractions. Despite the increasing availability of vehicles with voice controls, 68% of drivers report adjusting the car radio, and 36% use a GPS navigational system while driving, according to an NHTSA survey. But those seemingly harmless actions can significantly affect safety. 

According to FHWA research, drivers are:

  • Almost two times more likely to get into an accident if they adjust the radio

  • More than two times more likely to crash if they change climate controls

  • Almost five times more likely if they engage with another device, like a touchscreen

Outside objects

While it’s natural to be curious about what’s going on outside your vehicle, rubbernecking can significantly increase your risk of a car accident. Drivers distracted by outside objects are seven times more likely to be in a crash, FHWA research found.

Learn More: Usage-Based Insurance: Benefits, Drawbacks, and How It Works

Learn More: Usage-Based Insurance: Benefits, Drawbacks, and How It Works

Distracted driving fatality statistics

Distracted driving caused an average of 3,277 deaths annually between 2019 and 2023. Exploring the most recent distracted driving statistics from the NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a database of police crash report forms, reveals how age, time, and location affect your risk of an accident.

Fatalities by age

Nearly 18% of people killed in distracted driving accidents in 2023 were between the ages of 25 and 34, making it the age group most likely to die in a distraction-affected crash. The same age group has the highest crash rate, accounting for about 22% of distraction-affected accidents, according to NHTSA data.

Age Group
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People Killed in Distracted Driving Accidents in 2023
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Percentage of Total Fatalities
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<151264%
15–202999%
21–242457%
25–3457818%
35–4446314%
45–5439712%
55–6445114%
65–7436011%
75+34811%
Unknown80.2%
Source: NHTSA

Fatalities by day and time

Driver distraction can lead to crashes at any day and time. But about one-third of all distracted driving fatalities happen on a Friday or Saturday, according to 2023 NHTSA data.

Distracted driving deaths are least common on Tuesdays, with 12% of fatalities occurring on that day of the week.

Day
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Distracted Driving Fatalities in 2023
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Percentage of Total Fatal Accidents
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Sunday47314%
Monday44414%
Tuesday40612%
Wednesday42213%
Thursday43513%
Friday55117%
Saturday54417%

More people die in distracted driving fatalities during the day than at night. In 2023, 52% of distracted driving deaths occurred during the day, compared with 48% at night, according to NHTSA data.

Time
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Distracted Driving  Fatalities in 2023
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Percentage of Total Fatalities
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Daytime1,69252%
Nighttime1,57748%
Unknown60.2%

Fatalities by state

Texas has the most motor vehicle fatalities from distracted driving in the U.S., according to NHTSA data. More than 400 people in the state died in distraction-affected crashes in 2023. 

The less populous states of Alaska, North Dakota, and Rhode Island have the fewest distracted driving deaths, with two per state in 2023.

State
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Distracted Driving Fatalities in 2023
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Percentage of Total National Fatalities
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Texas40412%
Florida2778%
Louisiana2548%
New Jersey1725%
New Mexico1635%
California1585%
Kentucky1494%
Washington1364%
Illinois1224%
Kansas1153%
New York1133%
Missouri1013%
Arizona712%
Oregon672%
Pennsylvania662%
Tennessee662%
Oklahoma642%
Colorado592%
Michigan572%
Virginia532%
Indiana501%
Georgia441%
Massachusetts441%
Maryland421%
Idaho401%
Ohio401%
Alabama371%
South Carolina371%
Minnesota311%
Wisconsin271%
Hawaii251%
Utah191%
Iowa180.5%
North Carolina180.5%
Maine170.5%
Montana170.5%
Arkansas150.5%
Mississippi140.4%
Connecticut120.4%
Wyoming120.4%
Nebraska100.3%
Vermont80.2%
New Hampshire70.2%
West Virginia60.2%
Delaware40.1%
Nevada40.1%
South Dakota40.1%
Alaska20.1%
North Dakota20.1%
Rhode Island20.1%
Good to Know

Multiple factors affect a state’s accident and fatality rates, including the state’s population, types of vehicles driven in the state, travel speeds, traffic laws, weather, landscape, and more.

Distracted driving crash statistics

Although distracted driving can have fatal consequences, 71% of distraction-affected accidents in 2023 only caused property damage, according to NHTSA data. About 28% of distracted driving crashes result in injuries, and fewer than 1% cause road fatalities.

Fatal vs. non-fatal distracted driving crashes

The table below compares distraction-affected fatal motor vehicle crashes, accidents that caused injuries, and property damage collisions in 2023, according to NHTSA data.

Crash Severity
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Total Motor Vehicle Accidents in 2023
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Distracted Driving Accidents in 2023
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Percentage of Total Accidents Affected by Distraction
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Fatal crashes37,6543,0218%
Injury crashes1,697,252222,39613%
Property damage only crashes4,403,453556,54113%
Total6,138,359781,95813%

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Phone use and distracted driving

Phone use is a top form of distracted driving — and by far the deadliest. Simply interacting with a phone screen or moving your phone increases the likelihood of an accident by 240%, according to Cambridge Mobile Telematics. One in three crashes in 2024 occurred within one minute of drivers using their phones.

In 2023, most distracted drivers weren’t using a phone when they crashed, but 8% reported phone use. Using a cellphone is also associated with a higher risk of being in a fatal accident, according to NHTSA data.

Crash Severity
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Distracted Driving Accidents in 2023
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Reported Phone Use During Accidents
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Percentage of Distracted Drivers Using Cellphones
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Fatal crashes3,02136912%
Injury crashes222,39621,0899%
Property damage only  crashes556,54143,5218%
Total781,95864,9798%

What drivers do with their cellphones also affects crash speeds, CMT found. Drivers making handheld phone calls crashed at the highest speeds.

The link between speed and accident fatalities is well-established. In fact, the risk of dying or being seriously injured in an accident doubles for every 10 mph over 50 mph a vehicle is traveling at the time of the crash.[3] In 2024, nearly 33% of all phone motion that CMT’s technologies measured occurred at speeds higher than 50 mph.

Phone Action 10 Seconds Before Crash
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Percentage Increase in Speed at Time of Crash
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Hands-free phone call9%
Screen interaction21%
Phone motion27%
Handheld phone call31%
Source: Cambridge Mobile Telematics

Distracted driving and car insurance rates

When your attention wanders away from the road, you’re more likely to miss signals, ignore speed limit signs, and get into a car accident. Simply adjusting the radio makes you nearly two times more likely to crash, while dialing the phone raises your risk by 12 times, according to FHWA research.

Auto insurance companies raise premiums after a collision to reflect your new risk level, so distracted driving behaviors can cost you hundreds of dollars per year.

Compare average full-coverage car insurance rates for drivers with a clean driving record vs. drivers with a speeding ticket, accident, or DUI on record in the table below.

Driving Record
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Average Cost of Full Coverage
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Clean$193
Speeding ticket$243
Accident$252
DUI$282

Distracted driving laws by state

Hands-free phone-use laws make the roads safer, lowering distracted driving by 9% compared to texting laws alone. This is according to a CMT analysis of Michigan crashes before and after the state enacted a handheld device ban. Still, drivers who spend more time making hands-free calls have a 52% higher chance of crashing, CMT found.[4]

Most U.S. states have banned texting and handheld cellphone use. Multiple states have limited rules, and one (Montana) has no phone-use restrictions at all. Here are the current state laws about cellphone use while driving, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. 

This table notes which states restrict cellphone use to hands-free calling only, which ban texting by driving, and which completely bar cellphone use of any kind for certain groups of drivers, like teens.

State
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Handheld Cellphone Ban?
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Text Messaging Ban?
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All Cellphone Ban?
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AlabamaYesYesSchool bus drivers and 16- and 17-year-old drivers with intermediate licenses for less than six months
AlaskaNoYesNo
ArizonaYesYesSchool bus drivers and instruction and intermediate permit holders younger than 18
ArkansasSchool and work zones onlyYesSchool bus drivers and drivers younger than 18
CaliforniaYesYesSchool bus drivers and drivers younger than 18
ColoradoYesYesDrivers younger than 18
ConnecticutYesYesSchool bus drivers and drivers younger than 18
DelawareYesYesSchool bus drivers and drivers with learner’s or intermediate license
FloridaSchool and work zones onlyYesNo
GeorgiaYesYesSchool bus drivers
HawaiiYesYesDrivers younger than 18
IdahoYesYesNo
IllinoisYesYesSchool bus drivers and drivers younger than 19
IndianaYesYesDrivers younger than 21
IowaYesYesDrivers with restricted or intermediate license
KansasNoYesDrivers with learner’s or intermediate license
KentuckyNoYesSchool bus drivers and drivers younger than 18
LouisianaDrivers with learner’s or intermediate license and in school zonesYesSchool bus drivers and drivers younger than 18
MaineYesYesDrivers with learner’s or intermediate license
MarylandYesYesSchool bus drivers and drivers younger than 18
MassachusettsYesYesSchool bus drivers and drivers younger than 18
MichiganYesYesSchool bus drivers and novice drivers
MinnesotaYesYesSchool bus drivers and drivers younger than 18 with a learner’s or provisional license
MississippiNoYesSchool bus drivers
MissouriYesYesSchool bus drivers
MontanaNoNoNo
NebraskaNoYesSchool bus drivers and drivers younger than 18 with learner’s or intermediate license
NevadaYesYesNo
New HampshireYesYesDrivers younger than 18
New JerseyYesYesSchool bus drivers and drivers with a permit or provisional license
New MexicoNoYesDrivers with a learner’s or provisional license
New YorkYesYesNo
North CarolinaNoYesSchool bus drivers and drivers younger than 18
North Dakota NoYesDrivers younger than 18
OhioYesYesDrivers younger than 18
OklahomaDrivers with a learner’s or intermediate licenseYesSchool bus drivers
OregonYesYesDrivers younger than 18
PennsylvaniaYesYesNo
Rhode Island YesYesSchool bus drivers and drivers younger than 18
South CarolinaNoYesNo
South DakotaNoYesDrivers with a learner’s or intermediate license
TennesseeYesYesSchool bus drivers and drivers with a learner’s or intermediate license
TexasIn school zones and public school propertyYesSchool bus drivers and drivers younger than 18
UtahNoYesSchool bus drivers and drivers younger than 18
Vermont YesYesDrivers younger than 18
VirginiaYesYesSchool bus drivers
WashingtonYesYesDrivers with learner’s or intermediate license
Washington, D.C.YesYesSchool bus drivers and drivers with learner’s permit
West VirginiaYesYesDrivers younger than 18 with learner’s or intermediate license
WisconsinIn work zonesYesDrivers with learner’s or intermediate license
WyomingNoYesNo

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How to avoid driving distracted

Inattentional blindness, or perceptual blindness, occurs when we fail to notice something right in front of our eyes due to inattention. During driving, inattentional blindness can look like failing to notice another car swerving into your lane because you’re thinking about your to-do list instead of driving.

To avoid driving while distracted, use these techniques to stay focused:

  • Keep your hands off devices while driving, including fiddling with the GPS or picking a new playlist. States with handheld device bans have a 9% lower rate of phone distraction while driving than states that only have no-texting laws, according to CMT.

  • Scan for cues. Read road signs for hazard warnings, note other drivers’ speed and behaviors, and watch for animals or falling objects to maintain awareness of your surroundings.

  • Don’t drive while sleep-deprived. Sleep deprivation magnifies distractedness, making it difficult to refocus on a task once interrupted, according to Michigan State University research.

Distracted driving statistics FAQs

Driving while distracted can have serious consequences. Learn more about how to protect yourself on the road with these answers to the most frequently asked questions about distracted driving.

  • Has distracted driving decreased?

    Distracted driving decreased slightly between 2022 and 2023, according to the most recent NHTSA data. In 2023, 3,275 people died in U.S. distracted driving traffic accidents, compared to 3,315 in 2022.

  • What percentage of drivers engage in distracted driving?

    The most common driving distractions are talking to other passengers (82% of drivers report) and adjusting the car radio (68%), according to an NHTSA survey. Nearly half of drivers (48%) ate or drank while driving. Comparatively, 12% of drivers admitted to reading emails or texts, and 9% sent text messages or emails while driving.

  • What’s the biggest distraction for drivers involved in collisions?

    Using electronic devices, reaching for objects, looking at objects or events outside the vehicle, eating, and applying makeup are the biggest driver distractions, according to research by the NHTSA and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). In 2023, cellphone use contributed to 12% of all distraction-affected fatal crashes.

  • Is distracted driving worse than drunk driving?

    Studies suggest driving while distracted — specifically while using a cellphone — increases the risk of being in a crash to a similar level as drunk driving. Drunk driving causes far more fatalities annually. In 2023, 12,429 people died in DUI accidents, according to NHTSA data. In the same period, 3,275 people died in distraction-affected crashes.

  • What percentage of accidents are caused by texting and driving?

    Texting-specific data is unavailable, but cellphone use while driving, including texting, causes about 6% of all crashes, according to the NHTSA.

    About one-third of drivers in a AAA survey admitted to texting while driving. Although 93% of drivers agree that texting, emailing, or reading on a handheld device is very or extremely dangerous, 27% have sent texts or emails, and 37% have read them on their device.

  • Does texting while driving cause most rear-end collisions?

    Texting while driving makes getting into a traffic accident about six times more likely, according to the NHTSA. Rear-end collisions are one of the most common types of car accidents, and phone use while driving is associated with the crash pattern.

Sources

  1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). "Distracted Driving in 2023."
  2. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. "2023 Traffic Safety Culture Index."
  3. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. "Think Fast."
  4. Cambridge Mobile Telematics. "The State of US Road Risk in 2024."
Cassie Sheets
Cassie Sheets

Cassie Sheets has more than nine years of experience creating compelling content for clients, brands, and local news sites. She started her career at Movoto Real Estate, where she transformed dry data into interesting insights for potential homebuyers. She’s since covered a wide range of topics, from pop culture news to home and garden trends.

Before joining Insurify, Cassie wrote engaging landing pages and blog posts for medical practices at MyAdvice. Now, she uses her knack for diving into the latest data and pulling out key details to empower insurance buyers.

Cassie holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago. In her free time, you can find her exploring the city with her dog, trying not to fall over in yoga classes, and petting cats at the shelter.

Evelyn Pimplaskar
Edited byEvelyn PimplaskarEditor-in-Chief, Director of Content
Evelyn Pimplaskar
Evelyn PimplaskarEditor-in-Chief, Director of Content
  • 10+ years in insurance and personal finance content

  • 30+ years in media, PR, and content creation

Evelyn leads Insurify’s content team. She’s passionate about creating empowering content to help people transform their financial lives and make sound insurance-buying decisions.

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