Distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic on America's roadways. In 2009 alone, nearly 5,500 people were killed and 450,000 more were injured in distracted driving crashes.
The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group – 16 percent of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving. Of those drivers involved in fatal crashes who were reportedly distracted, the 30- to 39-year-olds had the highest proportion of cell phone involvement.
Highlights
• In 2009, 5,474 people were killed on U.S. roadways and an estimated additional 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes that were reported to have involved dis¬tracted driving (FARS and GES).
• Of those people killed in distracted-driving-related crashes, 995 involved reports of a cell phone as a distrac¬tion (18% of fatalities in distraction-related crashes).
• Of those injured in distracted-driving-related crashes, 24,000 involved reports of a cell phone as a distraction (5% of injured people in distraction-related crashes).
• Sixteen percent of fatal crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving.
• Twenty percent of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving.
• The age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group – 16 percent of all drivers younger than 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving.
• Of those drivers involved in fatal crashes who were reportedly distracted, the 30- to 39-year-olds had the highest proportion of cell phone involvement.
Reference: www.nhtsa.gov/Distracted Driving 2009
