Driving Distracted Stats and Facts

FACTS

1. Distracted driving is an extremely prevalent problem that kills and injures thousands every year.
2. Using a cell phone while driving creates enormous potential for deaths and injuries on U.S. roads.
3. Texting is the most alarming distraction.
4. Distracted driving happens anytime you focus on anything that’s not the road.
5. Many people drive to work every day, but workers in the transportation industry spend more time on the road than anyone else – leaving them at greater risk of transportation accidents than any other group.
6. There are three main types of distracted driving:

• • Visual distracted driving is when you take your eyes off the road.
  • Manual distracted driving is when you take your hands off the wheel.
  • Cognitive distracted driving is when you take your mind off the road.

STATS

• The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year.
• In the U.S. in 2018, over 2,800 people were killed and an estimated 400,000 were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver. (CDC)
• Nearly 330,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting while driving.
• 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving.
• Texting while driving is 6x more likely to cause an accident than driving drunk.
• 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.
• Texting while driving causes a 400% increase in time spent with eyes off the road.