Distracted driving is getting worse, study finds
Distracted driving is on the rise, and it is killing people and costing society billions of dollars.
That’s the takeaway from a report released by Cambridge Mobile Telematics called “The State of Distracted Driving in 2023 and the Future of Road Safety.”
According to the report, distracted driving increased by 20% from 2020 to 2022. Two key metrics, phone motion and screen interaction, went up 21% and 23%, respectively. The worst offenders are more than 240% more likely to crash than the safest drivers.
Drivers interacted with their phones on nearly 58% of trips last year. More than a third of phone motion distraction occurred above 50 mph, the highest rate in three years. The report also suggests that more than a third of crashes happen within one minute after a driver interacts with his or her phone.
Perhaps not coincidental, pedestrian deaths have gone up as more Americans own a smartphone. About 4,600 pedestrians were killed on the roadways in 2007, which is when the iPhone was introduced. In 2021, nearly 7,500 pedestrians were killed, with 85% of Americans owning a smartphone.
Major holidays experience an increase in distracted driving. During holidays, distracted driving is 2% higher than the average day. Thanksgiving and Christmas experience a significant increase compared to other days of the year.
Safety laws can have a big impact. In states without a handheld ban, three of four American drivers text while driving daily. Nearly 90% of drivers in those states talk on the phone while driving.
However, safety laws are only good if people know about them. In states with a handheld ban, less than a third of drivers indicated they knew about it. About 40% didn’t know about the regulation or didn’t understand what it meant. In states that do not have a handheld ban, only 8% of drivers were aware of the law.
According to the report, every 10% increase in distracted driving kills more than 420 people and costs the economy $4 billion every year. Considering the more than 20% increase in distracted driving since 2020, the report estimates that the increase has led to an additional 420,000 crashes, 1,000 fatalities and $10 billion in damages.
The report also cites a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study that found that sending or receiving a text message takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. That is equivalent to traveling the length of a football field at 55 mph blindfolded.
To read the full report, click here. LL
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