Texting And Driving Statistics 2024

Texting and driving is one of the most unsafe distracted driving behaviors. even reading a quick text means your eyes are off the road for what amounts to the size of a football field. Even though it’s illegal in 48 states, estimates find that 80% of drivers use their phones while driving with millennials texting and driving more than any other group.

Despite the fact that 93% of people believe that texting while driving is extremely dangerous, more than 50% of people in nearly all age groups do it regularly. Texting and driving accidents represent 12% of all fatal car accidents and 8% of all distracted driving accidents, posing a serious risk of accidents, fines, jail time, and criminal charges.

Texting And Driving Deaths Per Year

Statistics indicate that texting and driving is a leading cause of things like car accidents and fatalities. Even something as simple as reading a text message or glancing at your phone can cause a long enough distraction that you can miss things like pedestrians, cars changing lanes, or lights changing colors.

• 12%: 12% of all distracted driving accidents that result in a fatality are because of texting and driving.
• 8%: 8% of all distracted driving accidents that are not fatal or because of texting and driving.
• 44,518: 44,518 car accidents happened in 2021 because drivers were using their cell phones.
• 3,308: In 2022, distracted driving killed 3,308 people.
• 3,522: In 2021, 3,522 people died because of distracted driving.
• 410: In 2021 410 people were killed because of accidents involving texting and driving specifically.
• 397: In 2020 397 people were killed because of accidents involving texting and driving specifically.
• 350: In 2023, 350 people died because of texting and driving.
• 644: In 2021, 644 pedestrians, cyclists, and others who were not in a car were killed because of car accidents involving texting and driving.
• 5: Texting means your eyes are off the road for a minimum of 5 seconds.

The table below presents the data for 2022-2017 regarding the annual deaths related to texting and driving accidents:

Texting And Driving By Age Group

When you look at the statistics pertaining to texting and driving by age group, millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996 use their cell phones most frequently while driving. This figure goes down for older adults. For teenagers, the younger a teenager is, the more likely they are to text and drive with the number reaching its lowest point once a teenager turns 18.

• 58%: 58% of car accidents involving teenagers are a direct result of distracted driving.
• 33%: 33% of teenagers in America admit to texting and driving at least once in the past.
• 25%: 25% of drivers in their twenties are involved in fatal car accidents because of distracted driving.
• 50%: Around 50% of cell phone related fatal car accidents are caused by drivers between the ages of 15 and 30.
• 86%: 86% of those born between 1981 and 1996 admit to using their phones while behind the wheel.
• 72%: 72% of those born between 1965 and 1980 admit to using their phone while driving.
• 49%: 49% of those born between 1946 and 1964 admit to using their phone while driving.

Texting And Driving Consequences

Texting and driving is the most common form of distracted driving. Many people don’t realize that simply reading or sending a text, while only taking a few seconds, can represent a football field in terms of the distance you travel if you are going 55 mph. This is an extensive length of time to not have your eyes on the road and it leads to heightened risks of car accidents and death.

Statistics indicate that those who use their cell phone while driving are between two and eight times more likely to get into a car accident compared to those who are not distracted.

In addition to the risk of car accidents and fatalities, texting and driving brings with it serious consequences across almost every state except Montana. 48 states and the District of Columbia have made texting and driving illegal but the consequences differ from one state to the next.

Utah and Alaska both have the strictest penalties that include fines and jail time for first offenses, with Florida having relatively limited consequences and a low fine of only $25.

The table below presents some of the potential consequences for some states.

Texting And Driving Laws By State

Even if people admit to not texting, many people use their cell phones for directions, with 52.4% of people believing that looking at a phone for directions or checking emails is less dangerous than texting even though this is incorrect. More than 60% of people believe that talking on their phone is safer than texting even though many state laws prohibit any handheld cell phone usage while driving, not just texting.

While 48 states have laws prohibiting texting and driving, some states like Arkansas have widespread laws that not only prohibit texting but prohibit any type of cell phone use even if it’s something like checking an email or looking up directions.

However, most people admit that they are only somewhat familiar with texting and driving laws or similar cell phone use laws in their state and nearby states with many people unaware of the potential fines where they are living.

The table below indicates the texting and driving laws by state:

Texting And Driving Stats Vs. Drinking And Driving Stats

Both texting and driving as well as drinking and driving are incredibly dangerous. Drinking and driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) below the legal limit of .08% is not against the law but it can still have dire consequences. Texting and driving is against the law in 48 states and it comes with similarly high risks of impairment especially while driving.

• 80%: It is estimated that 80% of people in the United States use their phone while driving.
• 43%: 43% of Americans have admitted that they have driven under the influence.
• 2%: 23.2% of Americans admit to drinking and driving in the last 30 days.
• 47%: 47% of Americans admit to texting and driving in the last month.
• 35%: The number of drivers who admit that they text while driving increased over the last 3 years from 31% to 47%, a 35% increase.
• 32%: 32% of accident fatalities in the U.S. involve drunk drivers with a BAC over the legal limit.
• 13,524: 13,524 people died in alcohol-related accidents in 2022.
• 2,337: In 2022, 2,337 people were killed in accidents where the driver had a BAC under the legal limit.
• 37: 37 people die every day in drunk driving accidents in the United States.

Underage Drinking And Driving

Drivers in high school between the ages of 16 and 19 get into car accidents at a rate of four times higher than those who are 20 or older. The leading cause for this is drinking and driving as well as texting and driving.

Statistics indicate that both drinking and driving and texting and driving frequencies increase with age. Drinking and driving is higher among older students, decreasing the younger a student is, the same as texting and driving.

With regard to texting and driving among high school students, Hispanic students have the highest prevalence of drinking and driving, with 6.6% admitting to drinking and driving the last month compared to 4.1% of black students.

With regard to texting and driving among high school students, 43.9% of white students admit to doing it within the last month compared to only 29.5% of black students and 35.2% of Hispanic students.

The statistics from surveys of high school students indicate that participation in any type of risky behavior puts an individual at a higher risk of subsequent behaviors. For example, high school students who admit to texting while driving in the last 30 days are at the highest risk of also engaging in drinking and driving.

• 7%: 7% of male high school students had engaged in drinking and driving in the last 30 days.
• 3%: 3% of female high school students had engaged in drinking and driving in the last 30 days.
• 73: Students who did not regularly wear seat belts were 2.73 times more likely to engage in drunk driving.
• 29: Students who did not regularly wear seat belts were 1.29 times more likely to text and drive.
• 38: Students who engaged in drinking and driving at least once in the last 30 days were 2.38 times more likely to text and drive compared to those who didn’t.
• 64: Students who had engaged in texting and driving in the last 30 days were 12.64 times more likely to engage in drinking and driving compared to students who don’t text while driving.

Teenage Texting And Driving Statistics

According to the CDC, texting and driving is one type of distracted driving most common in older high school students and white students.

• 39%: 39% of high school drivers have texted while driving in the last 30 days.
• 59.5%: 59.5% of students under the age of 18 admit to texting while driving.
• 50.9%: 50.9% of students aged 17 admit to texting while driving.
• 30.5%: 30.5% of students aged 16 admit to texting while driving.
• 15.5%: 15.5% of students aged 15 admit to texting while driving.
• 15.5%: 15.5% of students aged 14 admit to texting while driving.
• 43.9%: 43.9% of white students admit to texting and driving.
• 35.2%: 35.2% of black students admit to texting and driving.
• 35.2%: 35.2% of Hispanic students admit to texting and driving.

Financial Costs Of Distracted Driving

Across the United States the average fine is around $200 for a first-time offense of texting and driving but this can be as low as $25 in states like Florida or up to $10,000 in states like Alaska.

The financial costs of distracted driving can extend to:

• Court fees
• Administrative fees
• Fines
• Increased car insurance premiums after tickets
• Costs of accidents

If you are involved in an accident because of distracted driving, minor injuries and damages can cost an average of $10,000 with moderate or severe injuries costing upwards of $100,000 on average.

In some cases you’ll experience an increase in your insurance premiums that can be a few hundred dollars per month depending on the severity of the penalty you receive. Additionally if you are involved in a texting and driving accident you may have to pay court fees and attorneys fees for your court case which can amount to an average of $200 per hour.

However, distracted driving costs an estimated $175 billion every year from damages, which equates to an average of 148 per person.