Insights from a recent survey conducted by insurance company Assurance have unveiled some concerning trends regarding distracted driving in America.
The survey found that Mississippi and New Hampshire have the highest rates of texting while driving, with half of respondents admitting to engaging in this dangerous behavior in the past month. Ranking close behind is Missouri, with 49% of drivers guilty of texting behind the wheel.
On the other end of the spectrum, New York has the lowest rate of texting while driving at just 14.8%, followed by Pennsylvania at 20% and Oregon at 22.5%.
The survey also examined the frequency of texting while driving. West Virginians were found to be the most frequent offenders, averaging 11.3 instances of distracted driving per month. Missouri and Texas followed closely behind, with 10.9 and 8.5 instances respectively.
Conversely, New York had the fewest instances of texting while driving in the last month, with a mere 0.7 occurrences. Nebraska and Minnesota also had low rates at 1.3 each. The average American driver texts while driving about 4.8 times a month.
In total, the survey found that 37% of drivers in the U.S. have engaged in texting while driving in the past month.
Texting is not the only form of distracted driving plaguing our roads, however. The survey also explored other common behaviors, revealing that over two-thirds of Americans admitted to selecting music while driving, making it the most prevalent distraction.
Other common habits included:
- Checking the GPS (56.1%): Monitoring directions or inputting destinations without parking first can impair drivers’ ability to focus on the road.
- Interacting with Adults in the Car (54.8%): Engaging in emotionally charged discussions can divert attention from driving and compromise situational awareness.
- Eating Food (37.5%): Eating meals or snacks behind the wheel can be a dangerous distraction, as drivers handle food items and divert their attention from the road.
- Interacting with Children in the Car (21.1%): Conversations, disciplining children, or attending to their needs can divert attention and increase the risk of accidents.
- Texting and Emailing (19.2%): Typing, reading, or sending text messages diverts a driver’s attention visually, cognitively, and manually, significantly increasing the chances of collisions. Similarly, around 9.6% of drivers admit to checking their email while driving.
- Making a Phone Call (18.1%): While seemingly not as dangerous as texting and driving, using handheld devices to make calls requires visual and cognitive attention, leading to distracted driving and decreased reaction times.
- Grooming and Applying Makeup (11.9%): Activities like styling hair or adjusting makeup can divert attention from the road and increase the risk of accidents. Although less common, about 2.1% of drivers apply makeup while driving.
- Checking Social Media (7.4%): Scrolling through social media or posting updates diverts attention from the road, impairing a driver’s ability to anticipate and respond to traffic situations.
Almost 50% of people have honked their horn at a distracted driver who was texting or using their phone while behind the wheel. In addition, 1 in 5 Americans are clueless about whether their state has laws against texting while driving.
Please note that due to a lack of survey participants, our analysis excludes Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.
Source: Land Line
