If you come across a distracted driver on the road, they could cause an accident, which highlights the importance of staying vigilant. Whether you walk, ride a bike or drive a car, distractions pose a serious threat to your safety. Likewise, when other drivers lose focus, they have an especially high chance of colliding with you.
It is helpful to go over data on this topic in order to understand this issue more clearly and the consequences an accident could bring into your life.
Statistics on distracted driving
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that about 424,000 people sustained injuries as a result of distracted driving accidents over the course of 2019. In addition, accidents that involved a distracted driver resulted in the loss of more than 3,100 lives during 2019. Sadly, this reflects a notable increase in comparison to the year before. In 2018, 2,841 people died in distracted driving collisions.
The CDC notes that cyclists, pedestrians and others not riding inside a vehicle accounted for roughly 20% of all distracted driving deaths in 2019.
Other data on distracted driving crashes
The CDC also reports that distracted driving is especially prevalent among young drivers. A survey of high schoolers in the U.S. from 2019 found that 39% of these students who operated a vehicle in the last 30 days sent or received texts or emails at least once during this period. Moreover, 9% of drivers between 15 and 20 involved in deadly collisions during 2019 became distracted when the accident occurred.
It is important to remember that drivers of all ages can become distracted, and distracted drivers should face consequences if they cause an accident.
