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Texting and Driving Accident Statistics 2024

Woman Reading Texts While Driving

Texting and Driving Accident Statistics 2024

The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year.  In fact, at any given time throughout the day, approximately 660,000 drivers are attempting to use their phones while behind the wheel of an automobile according to an NHTSA Survey.

Generally, the numbers illustrating the dangers of texting while driving are downright startling. While smartphones have made it easy for us to stay connected at all times, they can pose serious safety risks if someone decides to check their text messages, emails, phone calls, social media pages or any other mobile applications while driving.

The following figures reflect the most recent available statistics that demonstrate the dangers of texting and driving.

Current Distracted Driving Facts and Statistics

  • Around 3,000 people die in accidents involving a distracted driver each year. (CDC)
  • Answering a text takes away your attention for about five seconds. Traveling at 55 mph, that's enough time to travel the length of a football field. (NHTSA)
  • A National survey on distracted driving showed almost 1 in 10 respondents reporting sending texts or emails while driving at least sometimes where about 1 in 12 reported using some smartphone app that was not a navigation app. (NHTSA)
  • From 2011 to 2021 crashes involving cell phone use on average accounted for about 13 percent of fatal crashes involving distractions yearly. (NSC)
  • Roughly 93 percent of drivers consider hand-held cell phone use as dangerous however 27 percent have reported sending a text/email while driving and 38 percent reported reading a text/email while driving. (AAA)
  • From 2013 to 2022, over 1.2 million crashes took place in PA alone with over 130,000 of them being attributed to some form of distracted driving and 573 being categorized as fatal with 1765 deaths recorded according to PennDOT’s Pennsylvania Crash Information Tool website.
  • As of April 2023, in 24 states and the District of Columbia the use of hand-held devices has been banned for all drivers, while 48 states and the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving. (NSC)
  • Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers participating in interstate commerce cannot use “hand-held mobile telephones,” or engage in texting, while driving a commercial motor vehicle (FMCSR)

Teen Driver Statistics

  • 39 percent of High School students surveyed admitted to texting or emailing while driving. (CDC)
  • 4 in 10 teens age 12-17 have reported riding with a driver who used their cell phone in a way that put themselves or others in danger. (Pew Research Center)
  • Teen drivers ages 15-17 are 21 percent less likely to be involved in a fatal crash when no passengers are with them (NHTSA)

Most Recent Texting While Driving Statistics by Year

2021 Distracted Driving Statistics

  • Distractions were found to be present in 8 percent of fatal crashes, 14 percent of injury crashes, and 13 percent of all police-reported motor-vehicle crashes.
  • 3,521 people were killed (12 % increase from 2020) and an estimated additional 362,415 people were injured in motor vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers.
  • 644 nonoccupants were killed in accidents with a distracted driver.
  • 5 percent of all drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle accidents reported being distracted at the time of the crash and 7 percent of drivers ages 15-20 years old involved in a fatal crash were reported as distracted making this group the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of a fatal crash.

2020 Distracted Driving Statistics

  • Distractions were found to be present in 8 percent of fatal crashes, 14 percent of injury crashes, and 13 percent of all police-reported motor-vehicle crashes.
  • 3,142 people were killed and an estimated additional 324,652 people were injured in motor vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers (23% decrease from 2019).
  • 587 nonoccupants were killed in accidents with a distracted driver.
  • 6 percent of all drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle accidents reported being distracted at the time of the crash and 7 percent of drivers ages 15-20 years old involved in a fatal crash were reported as distracted making this group the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of a fatal crash.

2019 Distracted Driving Statistics

  • Distractions were found to be present in 9 percent of fatal crashes, 15 percent of injury crashes, and 15 percent of all police-reported motor-vehicle crashes.
  • 3,142 people were killed and an estimated additional 424,000 people were injured in motor vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers.
  • 566 nonoccupants were killed in accidents with a distracted driver.
  • 6 percent of all drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle accidents reported being distracted at the time of the crash and 9 percent of drivers ages 15-20 years old involved in a fatal crash were reported as distracted making this group the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of a fatal crash.
  • The economic cost of motor vehicle crashes was estimated to be $340 billion of which $98 billion was attributed to distracted driving.

2018 Distracted Driving Statistics

  • Distractions were found to be present in 8 percent of fatal crashes, 15 percent of injury crashes, and 14 percent of all police-reported motor-vehicle crashes.
  • 2,841 people were killed and an estimated additional 400,000 people were injured in motor vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers.
  • 506 nonoccupants were killed in accidents with a distracted driver.
  • 5 percent of all drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle accidents reported being distracted at the time of the crash and 8 percent of drivers ages 15-20 years old involved in a fatal crash were reported as distracted making this group the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of a fatal crash.
  • 349 fatal crashes were reported to have involved cell phone use which translates to 13 percent of all fatal crashes involving distractions.

For statistics from 2017 and before, check out our Past Cell Phone and Driving Statistics.

Injured by a Texting Driver? Contact Us Today

  • As cell phone use and driving becomes a national problem, the chances of being involved in a car accident with a distracted driver increase. If you're ever injured by the carelessness of another driver, contact our law firm for a free consultation.
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Some statistics taken from:

Transportation Risk Behaviors Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2019 (CDC)

Transportation Safety (CDC)

Teens and Distracted Driving: Major Findings (Pew Research Center)

2022 Traffic Safety Culture Index (AAA)

No Texting Rule Fact Sheet by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

2019 Poll by The Zebra

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

“Teen Distracted Driver Data” NHTSA.“

2016 Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview” NHTSA.

“Driver Electronic Device Use in 2010.” Traffic Safety Facts: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. December 2011.

"State lawmakers try to curb driver distractions." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 2007.

"Teen texting is OTT, even at wheel." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 2007.

"Bill would require motorists to unhand their phones." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 2006.

“PennDOT Teen Driver Safety Week News Release.” Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. October 22, 2008.

"Cellphones and Driving." Insurance Information Institute. October 2008.

“AMA acts against trans fats, texting while driving.” Washington Post. November 10, 2008.

“Teen Texting is OTT, Even at Wheel.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 17, 2007.

“Distractions Challenge Teen Drivers.” USA Today. January 26, 2007.

“Distracted Driving 2009.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. September 2010.

“Driver Electronic Use in 2009.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. September 2010.

“Distracted Driving and Driver, Roadway, and Environmental Factors.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. September 2010.

“Most U.S. Drivers Engage in ‘Distracted’ Driving Behaviors.” USAToday.com. December 1, 2011.

“2012 Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors Survey.” NHTSA.

“2011 National Occupant Protection Use Survey on Driver Electronics Use.” NHTSA.

“2011 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Distracted Driving 2011.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Distracted Driving – What Research Shows and What States Can Do.” Governors Highway Safety Association. 2011.

National Safety Council.

“New Pennsylvania law not yet putting a dent in texting while driving.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. April 11, 2013.

“What is Distracted Driving? Key Facts and Statistics” NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Schroeder, P., Meyers, M., & Kostuniuk, L. (2013, April). National survey on distracted driving attitudes and behaviors – 2012. (Report No. DOT HS 811 729). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Distracted Driving 2013.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. April 2015.

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