By Greg Zyla
Last week, we updated our yearly report on “The continuing Saga of young Joe,” a 26-year-old who lost his life in an alcohol related single car accident in his rare 1969 Olds 442 W34.
This week, we follow up with how Joe also became a statistic in the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) group of fatalities filed under “distracted driving.” We’re also including info on aggressive driving, another potentially deadly form of operating a motor vehicle.
Okay, let’s catch up.
Last week, Joe was answering his smartphone when he was unable to negotiate a sharp curve at high speed. Thus, he adds his name to the distracted driving category of accidents that have grown to over 20% of all accidents reported, both fatal and non-fatal.
Unfortunately, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) “distraction-affected crashes” data is very troubling. The organization lists “distracted driving” as any driver that texts, uses a cell phone, or eats and drinks while driving. Other forms of distraction include excessive talking to passengers, grooming oneself, and even adjusting car stereo systems.
However, NHTSA stresses that sending and receiving text messages require visual, manual, and cognitive attention, and are by far the most alarming distractions drivers engage in regularly.
Further, NHTSA says more than an estimated 70% of teens and young people admit they have composed/sent text messages while driving and now nearly 80% of teens and young adults say they have read messages while driving. Every driver on the road today surely encounters drivers weaving on the road while using their cell phones.
Obviously, texting is here to stay as individuals communicate via these multitask cell phones daily. Currently, government statistics conclude that every month approximately 170-billion text messages are sent to the U.S., Guam and Puerto Rico territories.
Additionally, NHTSA information indicates that driver distraction continues to be a significant problem due to the difficulty of proof and a driver’s reluctance to admit to texting/phone distractions, lack of witnesses, or the death of the driver. NHTSA believes the actual number of distracted crashes could be much higher than the estimated 400,000-plus injured in distraction-affected crashes in the last few years.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) also assists in leading the effort to stop texting and phone use while driving. Starting back in 2009, numerous national distracted driving summits have and are being held, resulting in the ban of texting and cell phone use for all drivers, not just commercial drivers as previously reported two years ago.
According to NHTSA, the age group that produces the highest number of distracted drivers is, not surprisingly, the under-20 drivers, where 16% are involved in fatal crashes identified as distracted.
Further, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 39% of high school students who drove in the past 30 days texted or emailed while driving on at least one of those days.
The CDC also found that students who texted or emailed while driving were also more likely to not wear a seatbelt. These same students were also more likely to drive after drinking alcohol according to the CDC.
Here are some of the latest statistics available:
Texting While Driving Statistics: Texting while driving is a major contributor to distracted driving accidents. In 2024, it was reported that 12% of distracted driving accidents resulting in deaths involved cell phone use or texting. Although there has been a slight decrease in texting-related accidents, distracted driving remains a growing concern.
Impaired Driving Statistics: Impaired driving, which includes both alcohol and drug impairment, continues to be a problem. In 2020, 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers, accounting for 30% of all traffic-related deaths. The number of impaired driving incidents has not significantly decreased, and millions of people still drive under the influence each year.
Drug-Impaired Driving: A study conducted at seven trauma centers found that 54% of seriously injured drivers tested positive for alcohol and/or drugs from September 2019 to July 2021. Of these drivers, 22% tested positive for alcohol, 25% for marijuana, 9% for opioids, 10% for stimulants, and 8% for sedatives.
Age Group Statistics: Over 41% of drivers aged 25-34 involved in fatal crashes were impaired (BAC 0.08+ g/dL). This percentage decreases with age, dropping to less than 30% for drivers aged 55-64, and below 15% for those aged 75 and older.
Pedestrian Fatalities: In 2020, 229 children aged 0-14 were killed in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver, accounting for 21% of traffic-related deaths in this age group.
Self-Reported Behavior: According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 18.5 million people aged 16 and older drove under the influence of alcohol in the past year, while 11.7 million drove under the influence of marijuana, and 2.4 million drove under the influence of other illicit drugs.
Arrests and Behavior: Despite the risks, millions of people drive impaired each year. About 1 million arrests are made annually in the United States for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. However, these arrests represent only a small portion of the times impaired drivers are on the road.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has again released some early estimates for traffic fatalities in 2024. Here are some key points:
Traffic Fatalities: NHTSA estimates that 40,990 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2023, which is a 3.6% decrease compared to the 42,514 fatalities reported in 2022.
Quarterly Decline: The fourth quarter of 2023 marks the seventh consecutive quarterly decline in fatalities, starting from the second quarter of 2022.
Fatality Rate: The estimated fatality rate for 2023 is 1.26 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), down from 1.33 in 2022.
Vehicle Miles Traveled: VMT in 2023 increased by about 67.5 billion miles, a 2.1% increase over 2022.
These statistics indicate a positive trend in reducing traffic fatalities despite more miles being driven. NHTSA continues to work on various safety initiatives to further decrease these numbers.
In summary, impaired driving—whether due to texting, eating, or other distractions—continues to be a significant concern. The rise of smartphones has certainly contributed to the problem of distracted driving. Despite numerous public awareness campaigns and stricter laws, some drivers still engage in risky behaviors behind the wheel. On the positive side, newer technologies such as hands-free devices, advanced driver-assistance systems, and apps that encourage safe driving habits aim to curb distracted driving. However, it’s still a prevalent issue, and many believe it’s getting worse due to our increasing reliance on mobile devices.
Here are some additional facts and recommendations about distracting driving with emphasis on aggressive driving:
1. Five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting. When traveling at 55-mph, that’s enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded. (CDC)
2. At any given daylight moment, approximately 685,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010. Experts believe this number will rise, and the most recent stats found that 4,000 were killed in distracted driving accidents for a 12-month period. (NHTSA)
3. More than half (53%) of all adult cell phone owners have been on the giving or receiving end of a distracted walking encounter, i.e., like walking into oncoming traffic at intersections or into a decorative water pond in the center of a shopping mall. (PEW Research)
4.Teens can be the best messengers with their peers, so we encourage them to speak up when they see a friend driving while distracted. Have friends sign a pledge to never drive distracted, to become involved in their local Students Against Destructive Decisions chapter, and share messages on social media that remind their friends, family, and neighbors not to make the deadly choice to drive distracted. (NHTSA)
Let’s not forget aggressive driving!
Aggressive driving plays a role in 56% of all fatal crashes in the U.S., according to a study conducted by the Insurance Information Institute, while the AAA Foundation attributed more than 200 murders and 12,000 injuries to road rage over an eight-year period.
Here’s a surprising fact: The level of tension on the nation’s roadways has increased while overall traffic has been reduced because of pandemic-fueled business closures and work/learn from home policies. A recent study determined that while 35% of the population is logging fewer miles these days, one in five drivers is experiencing more roadway frustration now than prior to COVID’s roadblocks. A whopping 95% of respondents said they’ve observed road rage or aggressive driving, while 64% admit to the behavior.
Perhaps adding fuel to the proverbial fire, statistics find that 27% of motorists admit to keeping a weapon in their car for personal protection (knife, pepper spray, a club, etc.). With 8% packing a firearm while driving, think about that the next time you decide to flip off another driver for whatever vehicular infraction irks you.
We need to take advantage of the campaigns available, starting in grade school, to implement and help curb phone addictions. Educators are urged to contact the NHTSA for available program materials and videos to address the problem before students receive their driver permits. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) headquarters are located at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Washington, DC 20590 (www.nhtsa.gov).
Drive safely and have a happy Christmas holiday season. Thanks to DOT, NHTSA, NSC, NOPUS, CDC, Pew Research, and the AAA for these statistics, graphics, and estimates for our yearly safe driving columns.
(Greg Zyla is a syndicated auto columnist. He welcomes reader questions and comments on collector cars, auto nostalgia, and motorsports at extramile_2000@yahoo.com.)
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