How many people die from texting and driving?
Texting while driving is a dangerous yet common occurrence that affects many drivers each day. Texting distracts a driver’s attention from the road, leading to an increased risk of vehicular accidents.
In 2021, 410 people died in crashes involving at least one driver who was distracted by a cell phone. This is 12% of all distraction-affected fatalities. Among these incidents, each police report stated that at least one of the involved drivers was talking on, listening to, or engaging with their cell phones in some other way at the time of the crash.
Accidents caused by texting are on the rise – USAA’s telematics app saw a 10% increase in distracted driving between the first half of 2023 and 2022.6 Understanding the impact of distracted driving can help drivers make better decisions on the road when it comes to using their mobile devices.
Between 2014 and 2023, smartphone ownership in the U.S. increased 63%. In 2023, 92% of Americans owned a smartphone and spent an average of 4.5 hours per day on their phones.
About 4% of female drivers manipulate handheld devices while driving, compared with only 3% of male drivers.
Jump to insightAdults ages 45 to 64 make up about 27% of fatalities attributed to distracted driving.
Jump to insightAmong residents of all U.S. states, Texans account for 12% of distracted driving fatalities, and Floridians make up the next-highest percentage, at 9%.
Jump to insightTexting and driving statistics
About 3.1% of drivers visibly manipulate handheld devices while driving. Forms of device manipulation while driving may include texting, checking travel directions, checking emails, surfing the internet, and other distracting device interactions.
Certain factors appear to make drivers more likely to engage in this behavior, including:
- Gender: About 3.3% of female drivers manipulate handheld devices while driving, compared with only 3% of male drivers.
- Age: Older drivers are less likely to manipulate handheld devices while driving, as 6.57% of drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 exhibit this behavior, compared with only 3.0% of drivers between the ages of 25 and 69. The amount of young drivers manipulating phones while driving increased between 2021 and 2022, while the share of older drivers decreased.
- Race: About 5.17% of black drivers engage in this behavior, compared with 2.5% of white drivers and 5.2% of drivers who belong to other racial/ethnic groups.
- Companions: A larger portion of drivers with no passengers (3.87%) manipulate handheld devices while driving than drivers who have at least one passenger (1.2%).
- Location: Among residents of the Western U.S., 2.77% engage in this behavior compared with 3.6% of those in the South, 2.1% in the Midwest and 3.7% in the Northeast.
- Urbanization: Urban drivers (3.87%) are more likely to manipulate handheld devices while driving than drivers in rural areas (1.5%).
In 2022, 3,308 people were killed and 289,310 people were injured in traffic crashes involving distracted drivers. Eight percent of the 39,221 fatal crashes (3,047) were reported as distraction-affected crashes, which is a slight decrease from the 3,214 fatal distraction-affected crashes in 2021.
Drivers distracted by a cell phone accounted for 12% (375 people) of all distraction-affected fatalities in 2022. Among these incidents, each police report stated that at least one of the involved drivers was talking on, listening to, or engaging with their cell phones in some other way at the time of the crash.
Drivers between the ages of 25 and 34 are the largest proportion of drivers (28%) who were distracted by cell phones at the time of fatal crashes. Studies show that drivers 29 and younger are also 63% more likely to text while driving than the average driver8. However, from 2021 to 2022, fatal crashes involving cell phones for drivers aged 34 and below decreased, while it increased for drivers 45 and above.
Distracted drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes who were using cell phones, by age group, in 2022
| Age | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 15 to 20 | 11% |
| 21 to 24 | 12% |
| 25 to 34 | 28% |
| 35 to 44 | 18% |
| 45 to 54 | 15% |
| 55 to 64 | 11% |
| 65 to 74 | 3% |
| 75+ | 2% |
The estimated economic impact of all motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. was $340 billion in 2019, of which $98 billion resulted from distracted drivers. These costs derived from:
- Lost productivity
- Workplace compensation
- Legal and court fees
- Medical treatment
- Emergency medical services
- Insurance administration
- Increased traffic and road congestion
- Damage to property and infrastructure
When also considering costs attributed to the loss of quality of life due to injury or death, the economic impact of crashes attributed to distracted drivers in 2019 skyrocketed to $395 billion.
Prevalence of texting and driving fatalities
There was an average of about 408 annual distracted driver fatalities related to cell phone use between 2018 and 2021. Cell phone use was a factor in about 13% of all distracted driver fatalities during that time period.
Distracted driving fatality statistics
You cannot drive safely unless the task of driving has your full attention. Any non-driving activity you engage in while operating a motor vehicle is a potential distraction and increases your risk of crashing.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists a range of potential distractions in its definition of “distracted driving,” including eating or drinking, talking to passengers, and adjusting the stereo. But it singles out texting as “the most alarming distraction” of them all.
The NHTSA calculates that sending or reading a text for just five seconds is enough to become dangerously distracted on the road. While driving at 55 miles per hour, that's equivalent to driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.
But while texting is dangerous for all drivers, the likelihood that someone will die in an accident related to distracted driving changes considerably based on age, location and gender.
Age
Adults aged 45 to 64 and adults 25-34 both make up 23% of fatalities attributed to distracted driving, combined causing nearly half of all distracted driving fatalities.
Distracted driving fatalities by age in 2022
| Age | Approximate percentage |
|---|---|
| 15 to 20 | 9% |
| 21 to 24 | 10% |
| 25 to 34 | 23% |
| 35 to 44 | 18% |
| 45 to 64 | 23% |
| 65+ | 11% |
State
Among residents of all U.S. states, Texans account for a plurality (12%) of distracted driving fatalities, and Floridians make up the next-highest percentage (9%).
Mississippi, Louisiana, and South Carolina had the top 3 highest distraction rates in the first half of 2023, meaning the states had the highest levels of distracted driving incidents involving texting, phone calls, or other smartphone distractions. While Vermont, Oregon, and Minnesota had the lowest distraction rates.
Gender
Men are far more likely than women to die as a result of distracted driving.
FAQ
How many fatalities are attributed to cell phone use while driving per year?
The latest data shows that around 410 traffic crash fatalities annually are related to cell phone use while driving. The Department of Transportation doesn't specify how many of those fatalities specifically involved texting rather than other forms of cell phone distraction.
What age groups are most impacted by distracted driving?
Fatalities attributed to distracted driving are most common among adults ages 45 to 64. That age group accounted for about 23% of distracted driving-related fatalities in 2022, followed by adults ages 25 to 34 (about 23%).
Are men or women more likely to be victims of distracted driving?
Men are far more likely to be victims of distracted driving than women. Men make up about 70% of distracted driving-related fatalities.
How many people use mobile devices while driving?
About 3.4% of drivers visibly manipulate handheld devices while driving.
References
- Blincoe L, Miller T, Wang JS, Swedler D, Coughlin T, Lawrence B, Guo F, Klauer S, Dingus T. “The Economic and Societal Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2019 (Revised).” U.S. Department of Transportation. Evaluated Nov. 2, 2023.Link Here
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST).” U.S. Department of Transportation. Evaluated Nov. 2, 2023.Link Here
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Distracted Driving.” U.S. Department of Transportation. Evaluated Nov. 17, 2023.Link Here
- ”USAA Unveils Top 10 States with Most and Least Distracted Drivers.” USAA. Evaluated Mar. 18 2024.Link Here
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. ”Driver Electronic Use in 2022.” U.S. Department of Transportation. Evaluated Mar. 16, 2024.Link Here
- ”The State of Distracted Driving in 2023 & the Future of Road Safety.” Cambridge Mobile Telematics. Evaluated Mar. 17, 2024.Link Here
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. ”Distracted Driving in 2022.” U.S. Department of Transportation. Evaluated Apr. 3, 2024.Link Here
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