Texting and Driving Statistics

Texting while driving is a highly dangerous action that equates to driving with your eyes closed for even just a few seconds. Texting while driving is one of the most common types of distracted driving. If injured by a distracted driver, speak with a Nashville car accident attorney about your case. Take a look at some of the most important texting and driving statistics you should know. Reach out for us for a free consultation today.

Distracted Driving Statistics

Distracted driving includes texting, but also any other activity that takes your focus off the roadway, even for a few short seconds. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 3275 people lost their lives in distracted driving accidents in 2023. That is about 5.9% of all fatal car crashes across the country.

Texting is the most common and one of the most dangerous forms of distraction. A person driving on the highway at a speed of 55 miles per hour, who takes just five seconds to read a text message, has driven the full length of a football field with their eyes closed. Texting is the fifth most common cause of traffic-related deaths. It comes in after speeding, drug use, alcohol use, and right-of-way violations.

Laws Forbid Texting and Driving for a Reason

Across the US, 48 states have bans in place to ban texting while driving. That is due, specifically, to the enhanced risk that these types of activities create. A driver who is texting behind the wheel is putting themselves and others at risk while they do so.

Keep in mind that holding your phone and texting is illegal in most states. However, distraction can also occur if you are trying to use voice commands to send a text message. The better solution is to pull over, put on your flashers if you must send or answer a text message, and then send your message.

Who Causes Texting and Driving Accidents

There is startling information provided by the Insurance Information Institute on the most common age groups to be involved in texting and driving. The group that has the highest rate of texting while driving is 20 to 29 years of age. Note that this is not the teenager or the youngest group of drivers on the road. However, it does make up about 23% of the population that is driving at any given time. These drivers account for about 27% of all distracted drivers causing accidents.

What Makes Texting and Driving Unsafe?

Texting and driving statistics make it clear that driving takes your full attention. When a driver takes their eyes off the road for even a short amount of time, they put others at risk. It does not take long for changing road conditions to create unsafe conditions.

For example, a child could dart out into the road. You may not see a person in the crosswalk. Or, while sending a text message, a driver may fail to see a light change, causing a serious accident. Testing and driving statistics show that even a short few seconds of sending a text message can change the lives of thousands of people every year.

What to Do If You Are the Victim

If you are the victim of texting and driving, seek the help of a personal injury attorney in Nashville, TN. A car accident lawyer will work closely with you to determine fault, prove losses, and fight for maximum compensation. Do not wait to get legal guidance.