Biggest Distracted Driver Incident Causes Revealed
- A new analysis of NHTSA data has found the most common distractions that lead to driving incidents in the US—with drivers being distracted by things outside their vehicle contributing most frequently.
- Passengers were found to be the second biggest distraction for drivers.
- This is followed by several cell phone-related distractions being attributed to a vast number of incidents considered.
New research has revealed the biggest distractions to drivers that lead to traffic incidents, with external distractions pulling drivers’ attention away from the road the most.
The study by Florida personal injury attorneys at Fasig Brooks analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to examine the number of traffic incidents involving a distracted driver, identifying the most common distracting factors. The figures analyzed are from 2018-2022, ranking the most frequent distractions over the five years.
The most common distraction, accounting for 1,208 driving incidents recorded as involving a distracted driver is being ‘distracted by an outside person, object, or event.’ This may include watching a nearby gathering of pedestrians while trying to navigate through traffic or being distracted by looking for a parking space instead of looking at the road and cars ahead.
Second on the list are distractions ‘by other occupants’ or passengers of the vehicle. This distraction has been attributed to 677 reported distractions over the five years analyzed. For example, this may occur if a parent is distracted by trying to settle an argument between children in the back seat, momentarily diverting attention from the road, or friends having a loud conversation, minimizing the driver’s ability to concentrate.
Three cell phone-related distractions follow in the ranking, collectively accounting for 1,901 distracted driver incidents from 2018-2022. However, individually distracted due to ‘other cellular phone related’ factor ranks third, distracted while ‘manipulating a cellular phone’ places fourth, and distracted ‘while talking or listening to cellular phone’ ranks fifth. These factors accounted for 671, 649, and 581 recorded incidents, respectively.
While drivers using their cell phones to text, make calls, or scroll playlists for music present prominent dangers on the road, ‘other cellular phone related’ distractions create one of the biggest risks of incidents, according to the findings. This may include scenarios such as Bluetooth connectivity issues between a phone and a car’s audio system taking the driver’s attention away from the road or watching a video on a phone screen.
Most Common Driver Distractions Contributing to Incidents:
|
Rank |
Types of Driver Distractions |
Number of Reported Distractions |
|
1 |
Distracted by Outside Person, Object or Event |
1,208 |
|
2 |
By Other Occupant(s) |
677 |
|
3 |
Other Cellular Phone Related |
671 |
|
4 |
While Manipulating Cellular Phone |
649 |
|
5 |
While Talking or Listening to Cellular Phone |
581 |
|
6 |
While Using or Reaching for Device/Object Brought into Vehicle |
533 |
|
7 |
While Using Other Component/Controls Integral to Vehicle |
299 |
|
8 |
Eating or Drinking |
214 |
|
9 |
Adjusting Audio or Climate Controls |
163 |
|
10 |
Lost in Thought / Day Dreaming |
102 |
|
11 |
By a Moving Object in Vehicle |
66 |
|
12 |
Smoking Related |
38 |
Sixth on the list are incidents which occur ‘when using or reaching for a device or object brought into the vehicle’, which was a distracting factor leading to 533 recorded incidents, over the analyzed period.
Seventh are distractions caused ‘while using other components or controls integral to the vehicle’, which was recorded as contributing to 299 incidents, as identified by the study. An example of distraction may include adjusting the rearview mirror which leads to failing to notice traffic slowing.
Drivers distracted by ‘eating and drinking’ is the eighth-most common distraction leading to a traffic incident, attributed to 214 incidents between 2018-2022. This is followed by ‘adjusting audio or climate controls’ in ninth, recorded as a distraction in 163 incidents.
In tenth are incidents attributed to drivers becoming ‘lost in thought or daydreaming’, which was recorded in 102 incidents over the period analyzed. While distractions caused ‘by a moving object in the vehicle’ ranks 11th, recorded to have led to driver distraction in 66 incidents.
The 12th and final common driver distraction leading to traffic incidents are ‘smoking related’ distractions, which were identified to be a recorded distraction in 38 incidents between 2018-2022.
An expert from Fasig Brooks commented: “As a driver, it’s your responsibility to stay focused and prioritize safety—for yourself, your passengers, and everyone else on the road.
“Even seconds of distraction can result in severe accidents. Watching passers-by, looking at your phone for a few moments or turning to passengers may seem harmless, but they can lead to tragic consequences.
“Small actions—like putting your phone on silent or securing loose objects—can make a huge difference and even save lives or avoid long-lasting devastation.”
story credit: https://fasigbrooks.com/.
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Sources: Collected raw data on driver distractions in fatal crashes from – https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars
Definitions for the “Driver Distracted By” categories referenced: 2022 FARS/CRSS Coding and Validation Manual – https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813545.
Methodology: The analysis used NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data from 2018–2022 to examine distracted drivers and the factors contributing to their distraction. A large portion of the data listed distractions as “Not Reported,” “Not Distracted,” or “No Driver Present/Unknown if Driver present,” these were excluded from the analysis.
Non-specific categories like “Inattention (Inattentive), Details Unknown” and “Distraction (Distracted), Details Unknown” were also excluded from the main analysis as they lack specificity or actionable insights, making them unsuitable for identifying clear trends in driver distractions. However, a supplementary table includes all distraction types, including the ambiguous categories for a complete overview.
Cell phone-related distractions were grouped into three distinct categories, combining mobile and cellular phone distractions where the naming was arbitrary. The final categories are:
- While Talking or Listening to Cell Phone
- While Manipulating Cell Phone
- Other Cell Phone Related
This reflects the aggregation of overlapping terms in the FARS/CRSS Coding and Validation Manual.
Distraction types were ranked by frequency. A small calculation differentiated tied values, ensuring accurate rankings. The final analysis highlights the most common and clearly defined driver distractions across the US.
Whilst the totals may appear low, this is because the vast majority of these incidents are not distracted or not reported.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
