About 20% to 30% of all traffic collisions result from distractions, encompassing both avoidable and unavoidable types
. More specifically, distracted driving is linked to approximately 80% of car accidents in some reports, though this figure often includes a broad range of distraction-related factors such as losing mental focus, cell phone use, eating, drinking, and other in-car activities
. Breaking it down further:
- Avoidable distractions include activities like texting, talking on the phone, eating, grooming, and adjusting controls, which significantly increase crash risk. For example, texting while driving makes a driver 23 times more likely to crash
- Unavoidable distractions might include sudden external events or unexpected occurrences that divert attention momentarily.
Studies show that:
- Distracted driving accounts for about 25% of car accident deaths
- Inattentiveness behind the wheel is involved in about 80% of collisions and 65% of near-crashes
- One in ten road traffic accidents is caused primarily by driver distraction
- Around 14% of all reported motor vehicle collisions involve distracted drivers, with distracted driving responsible for 15% of injury crashes and 8% of fatal crashes
In summary, distractions-both avoidable and unavoidable-contribute to roughly one-fifth to one-third of all collisions, with avoidable distractions like phone use and in-car activities being major contributors to these statistics
