GITNUXREPORT 2026

Texting While Driving Accident Statistics

Texting while driving is an extremely dangerous and deadly habit for everyone on the road.

Sarah Mitchell

Senior Researcher specializing in consumer behavior and market trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

Our Commitment to Accuracy

Rigorous fact-checking · Reputable sources · Regular updatesLearn more

Statistic 1

Teens are 4 times more likely to die in crashes if using phone while driving, CDC

Statistic 2

Males 18-20 are 3 times more likely to text and drive than females, IIHS

Statistic 3

Drivers under 20 have highest texting while driving rates at 34%

Statistic 4

African American drivers report higher texting rates at 42%, Pew

Statistic 5

Young adults 18-24 text at 5,800 texts/month average, impacting driving

Statistic 6

Fatalities in teen drivers up 380% when texting, AAA

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37% of men vs 25% women admit daily texting while driving

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Commercial drivers texting cause 25% more severe accidents, FMCSA

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Ages 25-34 have 27% texting distraction rate

Statistic 10

Hispanic drivers 1.5x more likely to text/drive

Statistic 11

Seniors 65+ texting rates rising 15%/year

Statistic 12

Females text more but males crash more severely

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18-24 year olds 4x crash risk texting

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College students 90% admit texting driving

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Truckers texting 6.1% of time

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Rural young males highest risk group

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21-29 age group 29% rate

Statistic 18

Elderly pedestrian risk 4x

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Delivery drivers 2x distraction

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Child passengers 3x injury risk

Statistic 21

Rideshare drivers 15% higher

Statistic 22

Economic cost of distracted driving crashes, including texting, exceeds $260 billion annually in the US

Statistic 23

Distracted driving medical costs $99 billion yearly, texting major factor, NSC

Statistic 24

Texting distraction causes 1.6 million crashes yearly, costing $230B, AAA

Statistic 25

Property damage from texting crashes averages $4,000 per incident, Insurance Journal

Statistic 26

Insurance premiums rise 20% for texting convictions

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$40 billion in lost productivity from texting crashes yearly

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$871 billion lifetime cost per texting fatality, NSC

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$5,775 average claim for distraction crash

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$99.6 billion medical costs distraction 2020

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$300 billion total societal cost distraction

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Insurance hikes 50% post-conviction

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Productivity loss $41B from injuries

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$160B property damage distraction

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Legal settlements average $1.2M per case

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Wage losses $23B yearly

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Admin costs $17B

Statistic 38

In 2022, texting while driving contributed to 3,308 deaths in the US according to NHTSA data

Statistic 39

In 2021, 20% of all police-reported crashes involved driver distraction, many due to texting, NHTSA

Statistic 40

1 in 4 car accidents in US caused by phone use, including texting, per Zendrive

Statistic 41

In 2020, 3,142 fatalities from distracted driving, 40% involving texting, NHTSA estimate

Statistic 42

Global texting-related deaths estimated at 260,000 annually, WHO

Statistic 43

9% of all US fatal crashes involve texting distraction, NHTSA 2021

Statistic 44

1.25 million global road deaths, 10% from distraction like texting, WHO 2023

Statistic 45

Nighttime texting crashes 30% more fatal, NHTSA

Statistic 46

400,000 injuries yearly from phone distraction, NHTSA

Statistic 47

11 teens die daily from mobile distraction

Statistic 48

2,800 deaths in 2018 from distraction, NHTSA

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Rural roads see 18% higher texting fatalities

Statistic 50

Bad weather + texting crashes double

Statistic 51

3,522 distraction deaths 2019

Statistic 52

Highway crashes 35% distraction-related

Statistic 53

Intersection crashes 2x texting

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1,000 cyclist deaths yearly distraction

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3,275 deaths 2021 distraction

Statistic 56

UK 1,800 deaths distraction

Statistic 57

Drivers who text while driving spend about 10% of their driving time with eyes off the road, equivalent to driving 400 yards blindfolded at 55 mph

Statistic 58

A text takes eyes off road for 5 seconds at 55 mph, covering football field blind, Virginia Tech

Statistic 59

Every day, 660,000 drivers use phones while driving at any moment, NHTSA

Statistic 60

At 70 mph, 5-second glance from texting equals 600 feet blind

Statistic 61

Hands-free calls still increase risk 4x vs no phone

Statistic 62

Eyes off road 23% of time for texters, Carscoops study

Statistic 63

Swerving incidents 21x higher with texting

Statistic 64

Rear-end collisions from texting up 400%

Statistic 65

Braking distance increases 30% post-text

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Lane departure 9x more likely texting

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55% increase in near-misses from notifications

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Head movement 50% more erratic texting

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Speed variability up 22% texting

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Steering wheel grip loosens 40% texting

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Lateral position variance 28% higher

Statistic 72

Time headway reduced 25% texting

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Acceleration variability 19% up

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Yaw rate variance 31% higher

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Gap acceptance errors 4x

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Speed limit exceedance 17% more

Statistic 77

Deceleration rate 24% erratic

Statistic 78

Path deviation 33% wider

Statistic 79

48 states ban texting while driving, but enforcement varies, GHSA

Statistic 80

Urban areas see 25% higher texting distraction crashes, USDOT

Statistic 81

Legal fines average $200 per texting ticket

Statistic 82

Europe texting bans reduce crashes 15%, ETSC

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40 states with primary enforcement for texting

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Australia texting ban cut crashes 40%

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30 states ban all handheld use

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School zone texting fines double

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Canada texting ban 21% crash drop

Statistic 88

49 states ban novice texting

Statistic 89

Enforcement cameras reduce 76%

Statistic 90

66% of drivers admit to texting while driving in the past month per AAA Foundation study

Statistic 91

94% of drivers acknowledge texting risk but 35% do it anyway, Pew Research

Statistic 92

81% of drivers read texts within 2 minutes of receiving, AT&T study

Statistic 93

74% of Americans have texted while driving at some point, Public Opinion Research

Statistic 94

50% of drivers multitask texting in traffic, Zendrive 2022

Statistic 95

62% parents text while driving with kids in car, Cohen Children's

Statistic 96

89% say will answer call/text while driving, State Farm

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70% ride with distracted driver monthly

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Daily texters 23% more likely to speed

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76% check phone within 5 min driving

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App notifications cause 12% distraction time

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1 in 5 use social media while driving

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64% distracted by passengers + phone

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82% read email driving

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45% parents model bad behavior

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56% use maps distracting

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Video watching 8% drivers

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Gaming apps 3% usage driving

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68% ignore red light if texting

Statistic 109

Texting increases crash risk by 23 times compared to undistracted driving, per University of Utah study

Statistic 110

Hands-free texting still doubles crash risk per Carnegie Mellon study

Statistic 111

Reaction time after texting increases by 35%, per NSC

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Using phone for texting reduces attention by 37%, UK study

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Average speed drop by 15 mph when texting, Texas A&M study

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Texting while driving is deadliest distraction, 23x risk

Statistic 115

Brain scan shows texting impairs driving cognition like alcohol

Statistic 116

GPS + texting distraction multiplies risk 8x

Statistic 117

Alcohol + texting risk 72x higher

Statistic 118

Workplace texting policies reduce crashes 64%

Statistic 119

Crash severity 2.3x higher with texting

Statistic 120

Voice texting risk similar to manual at 3.8x

Statistic 121

Motorcyclists 5x risk if driver texting nearby

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DUI + texting crashes 5x deadlier

Statistic 123

Pedestrian fatalities up 50% near texting drivers

Statistic 124

Following distance drops 36% texting

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Cyclist injuries 3x from texting drivers

Statistic 126

Fatigue + texting triples risk

Statistic 127

Mirror checks drop 50% texting

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Evasion maneuvers fail 60% time

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Signal compliance down 42%

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Hazard perception time +2.5s

Statistic 131

Collision avoidance 55% failure

1/131

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Imagine a football field, now imagine crossing it blindfolded at highway speeds—that’s the terrifying reality every time someone reads a text behind the wheel.

Key Takeaways

In 2022, texting while driving contributed to 3,308 deaths in the US according to NHTSA data
In 2021, 20% of all police-reported crashes involved driver distraction, many due to texting, NHTSA
1 in 4 car accidents in US caused by phone use, including texting, per Zendrive
Drivers who text while driving spend about 10% of their driving time with eyes off the road, equivalent to driving 400 yards blindfolded at 55 mph
A text takes eyes off road for 5 seconds at 55 mph, covering football field blind, Virginia Tech
Every day, 660,000 drivers use phones while driving at any moment, NHTSA
66% of drivers admit to texting while driving in the past month per AAA Foundation study
94% of drivers acknowledge texting risk but 35% do it anyway, Pew Research
81% of drivers read texts within 2 minutes of receiving, AT&T study
Texting increases crash risk by 23 times compared to undistracted driving, per University of Utah study
Hands-free texting still doubles crash risk per Carnegie Mellon study
Reaction time after texting increases by 35%, per NSC
Economic cost of distracted driving crashes, including texting, exceeds $260 billion annually in the US
Distracted driving medical costs $99 billion yearly, texting major factor, NSC
Texting distraction causes 1.6 million crashes yearly, costing $230B, AAA

Texting while driving is an extremely dangerous and deadly habit for everyone on the road.

Demographics

Teens are 4 times more likely to die in crashes if using phone while driving, CDC
Males 18-20 are 3 times more likely to text and drive than females, IIHS
Drivers under 20 have highest texting while driving rates at 34%
African American drivers report higher texting rates at 42%, Pew
Young adults 18-24 text at 5,800 texts/month average, impacting driving
Fatalities in teen drivers up 380% when texting, AAA
37% of men vs 25% women admit daily texting while driving
Commercial drivers texting cause 25% more severe accidents, FMCSA
Ages 25-34 have 27% texting distraction rate
Hispanic drivers 1.5x more likely to text/drive
Seniors 65+ texting rates rising 15%/year
Females text more but males crash more severely
18-24 year olds 4x crash risk texting
College students 90% admit texting driving
Truckers texting 6.1% of time
Rural young males highest risk group
21-29 age group 29% rate
Elderly pedestrian risk 4x
Delivery drivers 2x distraction
Child passengers 3x injury risk
Rideshare drivers 15% higher

Demographics Interpretation

The statistics scream that our phones are turning our cars into weapons, with young men topping the reckless leaderboard, but no age or background is immune to this tragically stupid and lethal habit.

Economic Impact

Economic cost of distracted driving crashes, including texting, exceeds $260 billion annually in the US
Distracted driving medical costs $99 billion yearly, texting major factor, NSC
Texting distraction causes 1.6 million crashes yearly, costing $230B, AAA
Property damage from texting crashes averages $4,000 per incident, Insurance Journal
Insurance premiums rise 20% for texting convictions
$40 billion in lost productivity from texting crashes yearly
$871 billion lifetime cost per texting fatality, NSC
$5,775 average claim for distraction crash
$99.6 billion medical costs distraction 2020
$300 billion total societal cost distraction
Insurance hikes 50% post-conviction
Productivity loss $41B from injuries
$160B property damage distraction
Legal settlements average $1.2M per case
Wage losses $23B yearly
Admin costs $17B

Economic Impact Interpretation

Texting while driving isn't just a personal risk; it's a wildly expensive group project where the only deliverables are wrecked cars, shattered lives, and a bill for hundreds of billions that we all get stuck paying.

Fatality Statistics

In 2022, texting while driving contributed to 3,308 deaths in the US according to NHTSA data
In 2021, 20% of all police-reported crashes involved driver distraction, many due to texting, NHTSA
1 in 4 car accidents in US caused by phone use, including texting, per Zendrive
In 2020, 3,142 fatalities from distracted driving, 40% involving texting, NHTSA estimate
Global texting-related deaths estimated at 260,000 annually, WHO
9% of all US fatal crashes involve texting distraction, NHTSA 2021
1.25 million global road deaths, 10% from distraction like texting, WHO 2023
Nighttime texting crashes 30% more fatal, NHTSA
400,000 injuries yearly from phone distraction, NHTSA
11 teens die daily from mobile distraction
2,800 deaths in 2018 from distraction, NHTSA
Rural roads see 18% higher texting fatalities
Bad weather + texting crashes double
3,522 distraction deaths 2019
Highway crashes 35% distraction-related
Intersection crashes 2x texting
1,000 cyclist deaths yearly distraction
3,275 deaths 2021 distraction
UK 1,800 deaths distraction

Fatality Statistics Interpretation

Behind every statistic in this grim catalog of distraction—from the three thousand plus American lives erased each year to the hundreds of thousands globally—lies the same fatal fiction: that a text message is worth more than a human life.

Incidence Rates

Drivers who text while driving spend about 10% of their driving time with eyes off the road, equivalent to driving 400 yards blindfolded at 55 mph
A text takes eyes off road for 5 seconds at 55 mph, covering football field blind, Virginia Tech
Every day, 660,000 drivers use phones while driving at any moment, NHTSA
At 70 mph, 5-second glance from texting equals 600 feet blind
Hands-free calls still increase risk 4x vs no phone
Eyes off road 23% of time for texters, Carscoops study
Swerving incidents 21x higher with texting
Rear-end collisions from texting up 400%
Braking distance increases 30% post-text
Lane departure 9x more likely texting
55% increase in near-misses from notifications
Head movement 50% more erratic texting
Speed variability up 22% texting
Steering wheel grip loosens 40% texting
Lateral position variance 28% higher
Time headway reduced 25% texting
Acceleration variability 19% up
Yaw rate variance 31% higher
Gap acceptance errors 4x
Speed limit exceedance 17% more
Deceleration rate 24% erratic
Path deviation 33% wider

Incidence Rates Interpretation

Staring at your phone for just five seconds at highway speeds is like closing your eyes and letting your car wander the length of a football field, a terrifyingly common gamble that turns a simple text into a potentially deadly game of chance.

Legal Awareness

48 states ban texting while driving, but enforcement varies, GHSA
Urban areas see 25% higher texting distraction crashes, USDOT
Legal fines average $200 per texting ticket
Europe texting bans reduce crashes 15%, ETSC
40 states with primary enforcement for texting
Australia texting ban cut crashes 40%
30 states ban all handheld use
School zone texting fines double
Canada texting ban 21% crash drop
49 states ban novice texting
Enforcement cameras reduce 76%

Legal Awareness Interpretation

Despite a jigsaw puzzle of laws and fines that suggests texting and driving should be extinct, the stubbornly persistent crash statistics prove humanity still hasn't quite finished reading the memo about how to not kill ourselves with our phones.

Prevalence

66% of drivers admit to texting while driving in the past month per AAA Foundation study
94% of drivers acknowledge texting risk but 35% do it anyway, Pew Research
81% of drivers read texts within 2 minutes of receiving, AT&T study
74% of Americans have texted while driving at some point, Public Opinion Research
50% of drivers multitask texting in traffic, Zendrive 2022
62% parents text while driving with kids in car, Cohen Children's
89% say will answer call/text while driving, State Farm
70% ride with distracted driver monthly
Daily texters 23% more likely to speed
76% check phone within 5 min driving
App notifications cause 12% distraction time
1 in 5 use social media while driving
64% distracted by passengers + phone
82% read email driving
45% parents model bad behavior
56% use maps distracting
Video watching 8% drivers
Gaming apps 3% usage driving
68% ignore red light if texting

Prevalence Interpretation

It seems we are a species tragically brilliant at acknowledging a cliff's edge while enthusiastically digging the ground out from under our own feet.

Risk Factors

Texting increases crash risk by 23 times compared to undistracted driving, per University of Utah study
Hands-free texting still doubles crash risk per Carnegie Mellon study
Reaction time after texting increases by 35%, per NSC
Using phone for texting reduces attention by 37%, UK study
Average speed drop by 15 mph when texting, Texas A&M study
Texting while driving is deadliest distraction, 23x risk
Brain scan shows texting impairs driving cognition like alcohol
GPS + texting distraction multiplies risk 8x
Alcohol + texting risk 72x higher
Workplace texting policies reduce crashes 64%
Crash severity 2.3x higher with texting
Voice texting risk similar to manual at 3.8x
Motorcyclists 5x risk if driver texting nearby
DUI + texting crashes 5x deadlier
Pedestrian fatalities up 50% near texting drivers
Following distance drops 36% texting
Cyclist injuries 3x from texting drivers
Fatigue + texting triples risk
Mirror checks drop 50% texting
Evasion maneuvers fail 60% time
Signal compliance down 42%
Hazard perception time +2.5s
Collision avoidance 55% failure

Risk Factors Interpretation

While texting drivers effectively become road hazards with their brains fogged like drunkards, their reaction times slowed to molasses, and their focus diverted to such a degree that their own deadly risk multiplies twenty-three-fold, one wonders why we still treat our phones as anything but silent passengers on the road.

Sources & References

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