Past Statistics on Texting & Cell Phone Use While Driving

Cell Phone Use & Texting While Driving: Statistics From 2017 and Earlier

At any given time during daylight hours, 660,000 drivers in the United States use cell phones. Whether it's texting, taking a phone call, or sending emails, cell phone use is associated with higher rates of dangerous or fatal car crashes. Accidents involving drivers using their cell phones are avoidable but many people put everyone's safety at risk by ignoring laws against distracted driving.

If you were injured an accident because another driver was using their cell phone, call us at 412-851-6041 for a free consultation. Our phones answer 24/7 and we'll start building your case immediately.

2017 U.S. Cell Phone and Driving Statistics

• Parents with young children were more 13 percent likely to be distracted while driving than adults with no small children
• 3,166 people were killed by distracted driving in 2017
• In 2017, there were 34,247 distracted driving accidents
• 15,341 drivers aged 15-29 were involved in fatal crashes due to distraction or cell phone use

2016 U.S. Cell Phone and Driving Statistics

• Fatalities in distraction-affected crashes decreased from 3,526 in 2015 to 3,450 in 2016, or a decrease of 2.2 percent.
• 263 teens (age 15 to 19) were killed as a result of distracted driving in 2016.
• 10 percent of all teen motor vehicle crash fatalities in 2016 involved distracted driving.
• The NHTSA estimates that every day 660,000 drivers use electronic devices while behind the wheel.

2015 U.S. Cell Phone and Driving Statistics

• In 2015, 3,477 people were killed and 391,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

2013 U.S. Cell Phone and Driving Statistics

• In 2013, 3,154 people were killed in distraction-related crashes.
• About 424,000 people were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.
• In 2013, 10% of all drivers ages 15 to 19 involved in fatal accidents were reported to be distracted at the time of the crash.

2012 U.S. Cell Phone and Driving Statistics

• In 2012, 3,328 people were killed in distraction-related crashes.
• About 421,000 people were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.
• In 2012, 11% of drivers under age 20 involved in fatal accidents were reported to be distracted at the time of the crash.
• One-fourth of teenagers respond to at least one text message every time they drive and 20% of teens and 10% of parents report having multi-text message conversations while driving.

2012 National Survey on Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors

• Nearly half (48%) of drivers admit to answering their cell phones while driving.
• Of those who answered their phones while driving, 58% of drivers continued to drive while talking on the phone.
• In the survey, 24% of drivers reported that they are willing to make a phone call while driving.
• One in 10 drivers surveyed said that, at least sometimes, they send text messages or emails while driving.
• Of the drivers surveyed, 14% said they read text messages or emails while driving.
• A majority of respondents supported laws that banned talking on cell phones, texting, or emailing while driving.

2012 Texting Pedestrian Study

Researchers from the University of Washington monitored 20 of Seattle's busiest intersections and observed the following:

• Pedestrians who text are 4x less likely to look before crossing the street, cross in crosswalks, or obey traffic signals.
• They also found that texting pedestrians take an average of two seconds longer to cross the street.

2011 Cell Phone and Driving Statistics

• It's estimated that at least 23% of all car accidents each year involve cell phone use – that's 1.3 million crashes.
• 3,331 people were killed and 387,000 were injured in accidents involving a distracted driver.
• 10% of fatal car accidents were reported to involve driver distraction.
• 17% of car accidents involving an injury were reported to involve driver distraction.
• Nearly 70% of drivers 18 – 64 reported talking on a cell phone while driving.
• About 30% of drivers 18 – 64 reported texting while driving.

2010 Cell Phone and Driving Statistics

• 3,267 people were killed and 416,000 were injured in distracted driving accidents.
• 5% of drivers used a hand-held device.
• More female drivers used hand-held devices than male drivers.
• Drivers ages 16 - 24 were most likely to use a hand-held cell phone.
• More than 3/4 of drivers said they would likely answer calls while driving and rarely consider traffic situations when deciding to use a cell phone.
• Most drivers said they would answer a call or text while driving but would feel unsafe as a passenger if the driver was texting.

2009 Cell Phone and Driving Statistics

• 5,474 people were killed and 448,000 were injured in distracted driving accidents.
• Of the 5,474 killed, 995 involved reports of cell phone use.
• Of the 448,000 injured, 24,000 involved reports of cell phone use.
• Drivers ages 15 - 19 had the highest percentage of distracted drivers – 16% of those involved in accidents were distracted.
• Drivers ages 30 - 39 had the highest percentage of cell phone use in fatal crashes.
• The percentage of fatalities linked to distracted drivers increased from 10% in 2005 to 16% in 2009.
• People driving light trucks and motorcycles were most often distracted at the time of fatal accidents.
• In 2009, the South had the highest percentage of cell phone use while driving at 6%. The Northeast came in at 4%.

Pennsylvania Cell Phone and Driving Statistics

Note: As of March 2012, texting and driving is illegal for all Pennsylvania drivers. Make sure you know Pennsylvania's texting law.

• In 2008, there were 23,059 crashes involving drivers ages 16 - 19, resulting in 194 deaths. Driver distraction contributed to about 10% of the accidents.
• There were 1,298 cell phone-related accidents in 2008. Of those accidents, 9 resulted in death.
• From 2003 to 2006, car accidents linked to cell phone use lead to 50 deaths across the state.
• Cell phone-related car accidents increased 43% in Western Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2006.
• There were 5,715 car accidents linked to the use of hand-held devices from 2002 to 2006.
• There were 367 accidents involving hands-free devices from 2002 to 2006.
• In 2004 alone, hand-held cell phone use contributed to over 1,170 car accidents in Pennsylvania.
• Accidents involving talking or texting on a cell phone rose from 168 in 2003 to 228 in 2005 in western Pennsylvania. That's a 36% increase.

Looking for more statistics? View our accident statistics page.

Injured in a Distracted Driving Accident? Call for a Free Legal Consultation

If you suffered an injury from an accident involving a distracted driver, we know you're feeling frustrated. There are laws against cell phone use while driving and you shouldn't have to pay for someone else's mistake.

We want to help you get the compensation you deserve. Our consultations are free and you won't be obligated to use our services.

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