We all know that you should pay attention while operating a motor vehicle, but the hard facts around the dangers of distracted driving can be sobering. See how many of these distracted driving facts you know.
- "Research has found that dialing a phone number while driving increases your teen's risk of crashing by 6 times, and texting while driving increases the risk by 23 times." [Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)]
- "Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that's like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed." [Source: NHTSA]
- "Eight percent of drivers 15 to 19 years old involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of the fatal crashes." [Source: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Report, April 2019]
- "From 2005 to 2010, the national number of pedestrians struck and killed by distracted drivers went up from 344 to 500 – an almost 50 percent increase. For cyclists, the numbers killed went from 56 to 73 — a 30 percent increase." [Source: University of Nebraska Medical Center study.]
- "Highway work zone crashes happen every 5.4 minutes. Now, a new study says an inattentive driver is 29 times more likely to cause a collision or near collision in a work zone." [Source: University of Missouri-Columbia study.]
- "Each day in the United States, approximately 9 people are killed and more than 1,000 injured in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver." [Source: Centers for Disease Control (CDC).]
- "Many believe hands-free devices and dashboard infotainment systems are safe because they are provided by vehicle manufacturers, but research shows these technologies lead to cognitive distraction and inattention blindness... Research indicates drivers using handheld and hands-free phones only see about 50% of all the information in their driving environment." [Source: National Safety Council (NSC) and report.]
- "The percent of drivers manipulating hand-held electronic devices has increased 1,500%, from 0.2% in 2005 to 3.2% in 2018…" [Source: NSC]
- "In a public opinion poll…82% of Americans said they felt the most pressure from their families to use phones while driving. Even teen drivers report feeling pressure from families, as well as friends." [Source: NSC Distracted Driving Public Opinion Poll, 2016.]
- "The majority of U.S. states have passed laws that ban texting while driving, 20 states and D.C. have banned using a handheld phone while driving, and 38 states and D.C. ban all cellphone use by novice or teen drivers." [Source: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)]
- "The consequences you'll face for texting and driving are similar to those you'd get for another one of the most serious driving offenses: DUI. The penalties could include hefty fines, license suspension, rise in auto insurance rates or prison time." [Source: DMV.org]