Distracted driving is a nationwide issue that affects every generation and has evolved over the past few years, and it has real-life consequences for everyone on the road.
Distracted driving can take several forms and is defined as anything that diverts a driver’s attention from the road. This can include eating or drinking, talking with passengers, adjusting car features, and, of course, using a phone, calling, or texting.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2024, 2,955 fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes involved distraction (8% of 36,297 fatal crashes) nationwide. Additionally, the total economic cost of distracted driving averages nearly $100 billion.
While overall traffic fatalities have fluctuated over recent years, distracted driving remains stubbornly persistent. Fatalities linked to distracted driving have stayed above 3,000 annually since 2020, highlighting how deeply embedded distraction has become in modern driving culture.
Levine And Wiss have conducted a study that aims to give insight into what distracted driving looks like for different age groups in 2026 and take a closer look at the real-life impacts that distracted driving has.
A Closer Look at Distracted Driving Behaviors in Recent Years and the Role of Smartphones
Some distractions, like passengers, eating and drinking, and even talking on a phone, have been around for a while; however, in recent years, smartphones have changed the landscape.
As technology shapes people’s behavior, some actions are replacing others, both of which are equally serious when someone is operating a vehicle.
When looking at cellphone use, there was an inverse pattern with cellphone behaviors. According to the 2024 Driver Electronic Device Use report, drivers with cellphones to their ears (presumably phone calls) have decreased from 2.1% in 2023 to 1.9% in 2024. Drivers using headsets haven’t changed, staying at 0.5%, but handheld usage (such as texting, scrolling, and using apps) increased from 3.0% to 4.5%.
Time of Day and Location Matter
Rush hour traffic remains one of the most dangerous times for distracted driving. During weekday rush hours, 2.3% of drivers were observed holding phones to their ears, the highest rate among all time periods measured.
Drivers were also most likely to manipulate handheld devices during weekday rush hours, with 4.6% observed texting or interacting with phones while driving. Weekend drivers showed the lowest rate of handheld phone use at 1.6%. Location also affected distracted driving habits. Urban drivers were far more likely to text and drive than rural drivers, with rates of 5.6% and 2.2%, respectively.
Gender Disparity With Distracted Driving
Female drivers continued to report slightly higher rates of cellphone-related distraction than male drivers in 2024.
The percentage of women holding phones to their ears while driving declined from 2.3% in 2023 to 2.0% in 2024, while male drivers decreased from 2.0% to 1.8% during the same period.
In 2024, 5.1% of female drivers were visibly manipulating handheld devices while driving compared to 4.1% of male drivers.
What Are the Real-Life Impacts of Distracted Driving in America?
Distracted driving can have serious consequences, including fatalities. Looking at the numbers for the past five years, you can see that the number of fatalities from distracted driving is over the 3,000 mark nationwide annually.
While there was a small decline in 2022, injuries from distracted driving, for the most part, have consistently reached over 300k injuries annually:
Injuries from these types of crashes are definitely much higher and impact many more people.
It’s important to note that many of these crashes impact more than just drivers; in 2024, 75 pedalcyclists, 525 pedestrians, 654 passengers, and other groups were killed in distracted-driving collisions. So, this issue affects more than just drivers.
Below is more data on that:
What Age Groups Are the Most Distracted?
Many people assume that teen or newer drivers are the most distracted while driving, and they often get the most attention in the news and on social media, but the numbers show that adults between 25 and 44 years old make up the majority of distracted-driving collisions.
Here is a closer look:
Drivers between the ages of 25 and 34 had the highest number of cellphone-related distracted driving involvement (108) in fatal crashes in 2024, followed by drivers ages 35 to 44 with 83. Drivers ages 21 to 24 accounted for 61 fatal accidents specifically related to cell-phone use.
Younger drivers were also disproportionately represented in cellphone-related fatal crashes overall. Drivers ages 21 to 24 made up 15% of all drivers distracted by cellphone use in fatal crashes, despite representing a smaller share of all drivers involved in fatal crashes nationwide.
These findings reinforce that cellphone distraction is not limited to teenagers, even if it may seem so in the media. Young adults, particularly drivers in their 20s and early 30s, remain one of the highest-risk groups for fatal crashes involving cellphone use behind the wheel, giving way to a new narrative that most Americans don’t consider with cellphone use behind the wheel. We’ll dive deeper into insights about this group later.
Teens and Distracted Driving
Teens who are new drivers pose higher risks with distracted driving, simply because of their inexperience, their inability to react due to their brain development, and sometimes pressure from their friends and peer groups. Let’s take a closer look at the data and research.
At 16, the prefrontal cortex, which governs impulse control, attention, and planning, is still developing, meaning things like multitasking, high pressure, distractions, and peer pressure can all make activities like driving more dangerous. Studies also show that teen drivers scan the roadway less frequently than adults and can experience reaction times up to two seconds slower than experienced drivers.
While certain kinds of cellphone use aren’t as large a problem for teenagers as they are for adults, distraction from peers plays a large role in distraction-related accidents.
AAA Foundation research found that distraction contributed to 58% of teen crashes studied, with passengers ranking among the most common distractions.
A national survey found that 94% of teens had seen passengers acting in ways that distracted the driver, including 69% witnessing passengers behave erratically, and 45% reporting passengers who urged the driver to speed.
Even at a smaller percentage than other age groups, cellphones, especially texting and similar app use, remain especially dangerous for younger drivers. Many were manipulating a handheld device when they crashed.
Below is a closer look at distraction crash rates with teenagers:
Middle-Aged Drivers and the Availability Problem
Interestingly, the most impacted group from distracted driving, particularly with their phones, is adults between the ages of 18 and 44. People from this age group feel a different set of pressures compared to teens or seniors.
Parenting, job responsibilities, social media, and nonstop communication for social, logistical, and simple responsibility reasons all end up on their one device, creating pressure to use their phones while driving. And while cognitively, this age range has the most benefits (generally speaking, a fully developed frontal cortex and lack of mental decline), the data shows that the distractions outweigh the mental sharpness that is typically present with this age group.
Seniors, Technology, and Cognitive Overload
Seniors had the lowest smartphone usage; those over 70 had a rate of 1.2% of usage, significantly lower compared to teenagers, young adults, and middle-aged adults. However, this group faces its unique challenges, where the vehicle itself and the newer technology that comes with it become the distraction itself.
Modern infotainment systems, digital dashboards, and touchscreen-heavy controls can introduce cognitive overload for older drivers who may be less familiar with rapidly evolving technology.
Research on aging and driving has found that changes in brain function and slower information processing can make distraction more difficult to manage as drivers age. Studies have also shown decreases in prefrontal cortex activity among older adults during distraction-heavy driving situations.
The Role of Passengers
The impact that passengers had on distracted driving, accidents, and fatality rates was an interesting one. A meta-analysis of crash research found that driver interaction with passengers accounts for 3.55% of all road crashes, regardless of passenger age, with detrimental effects including slower reaction times and increased injury severity.
However, not all passengers caused collisions; some reduced them, suggesting the ages of those in passenger seats matter, along with how helpful and engaged they were with things like co-piloting, navigating, and holding the driver accountable.
A study using the U.S. Fatality Analysis Reporting System data found that drivers with only child passengers had higher odds of being at fault in non-junction crashes than drivers with adult passengers. They were also more often flagged as inattentive, despite showing fewer risk-taking behaviors like speeding or intoxication.
With teenagers, as we mentioned earlier, the largest and deadliest distraction was other peers or passengers. A poll of 134 U.S. high school students found that 77% had been a passenger while the driver texted or checked their phone, and 70% had been in a car where other passengers were actively causing distractions.
For older adults between 45 and 65, research shows that the safety benefit of a front-seat passenger was strongest, pointing to the passenger as a co-pilot, not just cargo.
The States With the Highest Distracted Driving Fatality Rates
Distracted-driving fatality rates vary dramatically between states.
States With the Highest Distracted Driving Fatality Rates
| Rank | State | Deaths per 100,000 Residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | 6.6 |
| 2 | Louisiana | 4.52 |
| 3 | Kentucky | 2.93 |
| 4 | Kansas | 2.58 |
| 5 | Hawaii | 2.57 |
States With the Lowest Distracted Driving Fatality Rates
| Rank | State | Deaths per 100,000 Residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | 0.18 |
| 2 | North Carolina | 0.19 |
| 3 | Connecticut | 0.25 |
| 4 | Nevada | 0.25 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 0.26 |
Currently, 25 states and the District of Columbia ban handheld cellphone use while driving, while 48 states ban texting while driving. However, distracted-driving fatality rates remain high even in states with stricter cellphone laws, suggesting enforcement and behavioral habits continue to play major roles.
Spotlight on New York
New York has some of the nation’s strictest distracted-driving laws, yet cellphone-related crashes and citations continue to rise.
In 2024, New York recorded 100 distracted-driving fatalities, ranking 35th nationally by fatality rate. Cellphone involvement in police-reported fatal and personal injury crashes increased 8.1% between 2020 and 2024.
Texting-related tickets also rose sharply:
- 2020: 58,737
- 2024: 76,281
Drivers ages 21 to 29 accounted for the largest share of cellphone crash involvement in New York, representing 32% of all drivers involved in cellphone-related crashes.
Male drivers were also disproportionately represented:
- 60% of cellphone crash involvement
- 69% of cellphone-related tickets
These trends suggest that even aggressive enforcement may not fully offset the growing role smartphones play in everyday driving behavior.
How Automakers Are Trying to Stop Distracted Driving
Automakers are increasingly introducing technology designed to combat distracted driving, but not everyone agrees that these are going to be helpful for every age group. Companies like General Motors and Ford now offer driver-monitoring systems capable of detecting signs of distraction or drowsiness.
However, experts warn that driver-assistance systems may introduce new risks as well. Research from MIT AgeLab found that drivers using hands-free systems can become overly reliant on automation, leading to reduced attention and increased complacency behind the wheel. More data will be needed to see how different groups are impacted by these technologies.
Safety Tips to Prevent Distracted Driving
Sending or reading a text message takes a driver’s eyes off the road for approximately five seconds. At 55 miles per hour, that is equivalent to driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed, so even a quick glance at your phone is a huge risk.
The safest way to prevent distracted driving is to be proactive even before you start driving. This includes communicating before you get behind the wheel and keeping technology on silent mode when possible.
Here are some other tips from the NHTSA, and some tips in general:
- Communicate before you drive, and if you have to communicate while behind the wheel, pull over.
- Activate “Do Not Disturb” mode while driving.
- Let work or others know that you are driving before you leave, so you are not compelled to use your phone for work.
- Keep phones out of reach.
- Let passengers handle navigation or messages.
- Don’t try to learn vehicle features while driving.
- Speak up when someone else is driving distracted.
While these tips may seem straightforward, because of the reliance on smartphones and society’s almost addictive behavior, not using a phone may be challenging.
However, it may become easier when you consider that the risks associated with cellphone use while driving remain severe. Research shows that dialing a phone increases crash risk sixfold, and texting while driving raises crash risk by 23 times.
The Bottom Line With Distracted Driving in 2026
Distracted driving in America is a significant issue with very real consequences. Fatalities from distracted driving have remained above 3,000 for the past five years, and thousands more face injuries. While previously portrayed as something that is isolated to young teens, this issue is impacting every age group, from teens to seniors.
What’s alarming is that distracted driving has evolved due to smartphones, and checking our phones, even behind the wheel, has become a normalized behavior for most people.
Many drivers no longer associate quick phone checks, navigation adjustments, voice-to-text replies, or work-related communication with “dangerous driving,” even though research consistently shows these behaviors dramatically increase crash risk.
At the same time, advances in automotive technology may reduce certain risks while unintentionally creating new forms of overreliance and distraction. Laws, enforcement campaigns, and driver-assistance systems can help reduce risk, but lasting change depends on individual choices made every time someone gets behind the wheel.
For victims and families impacted by distracted driving crashes, the aftermath can be physically, emotionally, and financially overwhelming. Those injured in a collision caused by a distracted driver may benefit from speaking with an experienced Long Island car accident lawyer to better understand their legal options and potential right to compensation.
As distracted driving continues to evolve alongside technology, the need for awareness, accountability, and safer driving habits has never been more important. One glance away from the road can change countless lives forever.