Article brought to us by DeMayo Law Offices
New study reveals the most common distractions that cause crashes
Key Findings:
- New study using data from US Department of Transportation reveals number of fatal crashes involving distracted drivers – number decreased from 7.65% in 2010 to 5.53% in 2022
- General inattention/carelessness was by far the most common distraction, while distraction by external factors and distraction by mobile phones came second and third
- Mobile phone-related distractions in fatal crashes have decreased from 10.86% in 2010 to 7.37% in 2022, potentially indicating effectiveness of awareness campaigns and laws
While many factors can cause a fatal crash, driver distraction is common and, perhaps more importantly, preventable. “All drivers have a responsibility to have their full, undivided attention on the road at all times,” say experts at DeMayo Law, a legal firm specializing in personal injury and negligence cases. “When they don’t, there can be serious consequences.”
Using data taken from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the team at DeMayo Law has identified the most common distractions that cause fatal accidents on the road. Covering a span of 13 years between 2010 and 2022, this data provides a comprehensive view of the type and percentage of distractions that cause fatal incidents.
Findings of the Study
The study first looked into the number of fatal crashes recorded each year, the number of crashes in which the driver was not and was distracted, the percentage of fatal crashes in which the driver was distracted, and the percentage change year on year.
Table 1: Percentage of Distracted Driver Crashes Out Of All Fatal Crashes
| Year | Number of Fatal Crashes | Driver Not Distracted | Driver Distracted | Percentage Driver Distracted | Percentage Change |
| 2010 | 44,711 | 41,535 | 3176 | 7.65% | |
| 2011 | 43,908 | 40,729 | 3179 | 7.81% | +2.08% |
| 2012 | 45,699 | 42,497 | 3202 | 7.53% | -3.47% |
| 2013 | 44,831 | 41,831 | 3000 | 7.17% | -4.82% |
| 2014 | 44,698 | 41,653 | 3045 | 7.31% | +1.93% |
| 2015 | 49,205 | 45,850 | 3355 | 7.32% | +0.09% |
| 2016 | 52,442 | 49,147 | 3295 | 6.70% | -8.38% |
| 2017 | 52,811 | 49,687 | 3124 | 6.29% | -6.22% |
| 2018 | 51,922 | 49,201 | 2721 | 5.53% | -12.04% |
| 2019 | 51,330 | 48,323 | 3007 | 6.22% | +12.52% |
| 2020 | 54,184 | 51,188 | 2996 | 5.85% | -5.94% |
| 2021 | 61,403 | 58,031 | 3372 | 5.81% | -0.72% |
| 2022 | 60,072 | 56,924 | 3148 | 5.53% | -4.83% |
| Total | 657,216 | 616,596 | 40620 | 6.59% |
General Trends
- The total number of fatal crashes has increased year on year, from 44,711 in 2010 to 60,072 in 2022, an increase of over 34%. This is disproportionate to the increase in number of drivers, from 210,114,939 registered US drivers in 2010, to 233,644,000 in 2022, a rise of 11.2%. That means the number of fatal crashes has risen three times faster than the number of licensed drivers.
- The total number of crashes in which the driver was distracted has remained relatively stable between roughly 3000-3300. There was a noticeable decline in 2018 to 2721 crashes.
- The percentage of crashes related to driver distraction has decreased year on year, from 7.65% in 2010 to 5.53% in 2022, despite the increasing total number of fatal crashes. “This could suggest that general awareness of the dangers of distracted driving is increasing among drivers,” says DeMayo Law.
- The most significant changes in year-on-year perchance change occurred in 2018, when the percentage of distracted crashes was down 12.4% from the previous year, and in 2019 when it bounced back with a 12.52% increase. “It’s hard to say why the number of distraction-related crashes dropped so dramatically in this year,” says DeMayo Law. “Anything from a successful awareness campaign to a trending national news story could have made drivers more aware of distractions.”
The study also analyzed the types of distractions involved in fatal accidents. The table below shows the four categories of distractions that caused accidents, with the total number of distractions in each category per year compared to the number of incidents in which the driver was not distracted.
Table 2: Distractions By Category For Each Year
| Driver Not Distracted | Mobile Phone-Related Distractions | Distraction by External Factors | Internal Vehicle Distractions | General Inattention or Carelessness | |
| 2010 | 41,535 | 345 | 409 | 167 | 2,183 |
| 2011 | 40,729 | 335 | 345 | 185 | 2,259 |
| 2012 | 42,497 | 293 | 368 | 243 | 2,230 |
| 2013 | 41,831 | 328 | 353 | 215 | 2,034 |
| 2014 | 41,653 | 276 | 323 | 251 | 2,120 |
| 2015 | 45,850 | 321 | 371 | 293 | 2,295 |
| 2016 | 49,147 | 349 | 411 | 262 | 2,172 |
| 2017 | 49,687 | 273 | 419 | 290 | 2,007 |
| 2018 | 49,201 | 241 | 332 | 238 | 1,805 |
| 2019 | 48,323 | 277 | 366 | 217 | 2,034 |
| 2020 | 51,188 | 243 | 389 | 237 | 2,036 |
| 2021 | 58,031 | 259 | 450 | 313 | 2,227 |
| 2022 | 56,924 | 232 | 413 | 358 | 2,040 |
| Total | 616,596 | 3,772 | 4,949 | 3,269 | 27,442 |
The following table shows the distractions in each category as a percentage of the overall total of distraction-related incidents per year.
Table 3: Distractions By Category In Percentages
| Total Distractions | Mobile Phone-Related Distractions | Distraction by External Factors | Internal Vehicle Distractions | General Inattention or Carelessness | |
| 2010 | 3,176 | 10.86% | 12.88% | 5.26% | 68.73% |
| 2011 | 3,179 | 10.54% | 10.85% | 5.82% | 71.06% |
| 2012 | 3,202 | 9.15% | 11.49% | 7.59% | 69.64% |
| 2013 | 3,000 | 10.93% | 11.77% | 7.17% | 67.80% |
| 2014 | 3,045 | 9.06% | 10.61% | 8.24% | 69.62% |
| 2015 | 3,355 | 9.57% | 11.06% | 8.73% | 68.41% |
| 2016 | 3,295 | 10.59% | 12.47% | 7.95% | 65.92% |
| 2017 | 3,123 | 8.74% | 13.42% | 9.29% | 64.27% |
| 2018 | 2,721 | 8.86% | 12.20% | 8.75% | 66.34% |
| 2019 | 3,007 | 9.21% | 12.17% | 7.22% | 67.64% |
| 2020 | 2,996 | 8.11% | 12.98% | 7.91% | 67.96% |
| 2021 | 3,372 | 7.68% | 13.35% | 9.28% | 66.04% |
| 2022 | 3,148 | 7.37% | 13.12% | 11.37% | 64.80% |
| Total | 40,619 |
Types Of Distraction
- The four types of distraction were mobile phone-related, distraction by external factors, internal vehicle distractions, and general inattention or carelessness.
- General inattention/carelessness was by far the category with the highest percentage of fatal accidents, at 67.56% overall. It was the highest percentage category by a wide margin each year.
- The second highest percentage category was external factors, at 12.18% on average across all years. This is 55.38% less than the highest-scoring category, general inattention. Although external factors had the second highest percentage in every year, it was almost equaled by mobile-phone-related distractions in 2011. The two categories are generally quite close every year.
- The third highest category was mobile-phone-related distractions, with 9.29% on average. Encouragingly, the percentage of these distractions did go down from 10.86% in 2011 to 7.37% in 2022. “This could be evidence that awareness campaigns and laws targeting mobile phone use while driving are working,” says DeMayo Law.
- The fourth and lowest percentage category was Internal Vehicle distractions at 8.05% overall. Unlike mobile phone distractions, the percentage of internal vehicle distractions rose in general over the years from 5.26% in 2011 to 11.37% in 2022. “This could suggest more awareness is needed of things other than mobile phones, like eating and drinking, adjusting the radio, and other passengers, that distract drivers,” says DeMayo Law.
Mobile Phone Usage
Despite awareness campaigns and laws focused on communicating the serious dangers of using a mobile phone while driving, mobile phone-related distractions still made up 7.37% of all distraction-related incidents in 2022, with an average of 9.29% over the 13 years.
The data collected by DeMayo Law also broke down mobile-related crashes into more specific categories, differentiating between drivers who were distracted by talking and listening on the phone, drivers who were listening to their phone, and a general ‘other’ category.
The ‘other’ category, which includes activities like checking notifications or texting, accounts for the highest number of crashes, roughly between 4% and 6%. Talking and listening to the phone (i.e. taking a phone call) and listening to a phone (i.e. listening to music or a podcast) had very similar percentages, between 3% and 4% overall.
Internal Distractions
The data further categorized internal distractions into more specific activities, like ‘moving an object in the vehicle’ or ‘using other controls.’ The most common internal distraction was being distracted by other occupants of the vehicle, which held fairly steady at 4% in most years.
The second highest distraction was ‘using or reaching for a device or object’ in the vehicle, which varied between 2% and 3%. ‘Adjusting audio or climate controls’ and ‘eating or drinking’ each had 1% each for most years. ‘Smoking-related’ distractions never went above 0.50% and trended downward in general between 2011 and 2022.
A spokesperson from DeMayo Law commented:
“Reducing distractions while driving is essential. Our brains are not wired to handle the complexities of driving while also trying to do other things, like using a phone or adjusting the GPS. Even hands-free devices can pull your focus away from the road, impairing your ability to react to sudden changes or hazards.
“The key to staying focused is preparation. Before you start the car, make sure your route is planned, your seat and mirrors are adjusted, and your phone is set to ‘Do Not Disturb.’ This way, you can keep your mind on the task at hand. It’s also important to recognize when you’re becoming distracted by your own thoughts, fatigue, or emotions, and to pull over if necessary. Driving should always take precedence over other activities, as even small distractions can have life-altering consequences.”
About DeMayo Law Offices
Established on September 1, 1992 by Michael A. DeMayo, DeMayo Law Offices have grown to over 140 legal professionals across three offices (Charlotte, Hickory, and Monroe). The firm focuses on representing individuals who have been wronged and seriously injured or who have died as a result of the negligence of another in North and South Carolina. Additionally, they handle a variety of Mass Torts across the United States. Beyond providing excellent legal assistance, the firm is proud of its several community service projects designed to educate youth and prevent unfortunate accidents.
Methodology
Data on crashes and causes was obtained from. We looked at all crashes involving a fatality to determine how many and what percentage of fatal accidents involved a driver being distracted. Data was collected from 2010 to 2022; some data sets were unavailable for all years, as this was not collected by cdan.dot.gov.
Sources
Number of licensed US drivers: Hedges Company
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Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
