Distracted driving crashes add to rise in traffic deaths
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Distracted driving is a pervasive problem on American roadways, and more states are cracking down.
Why it matters: Around 3,300 people died nationwide in crashes attributed to distracted driving in 2022, while another 289,000 were injured, according to the latest available National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data.
- Over 62,000 crashes involved distracted cell phone usage in 2022 alone, NHTSA says.
- These stats likely underestimate the problem because crash data often relies on drivers self-reporting their distractions to law enforcement, National Safety Council (NSC) executive VP of safety leadership and advocacy Mark Chung tells Axios.
The latest: Iowa this month became the 31st state to prohibit any handheld cell phone usage behind the wheel, with Gov. Kim Reynolds saying: "This legislation will save lives."
- Nearly all U.S. states ban texting while driving, per the Governors Highway Safety Association, though their enforcement rules differ.
The big picture: U.S. traffic deaths per 100,000 people peaked in the 1930s and total deaths peaked in 1972, then gradually declined thanks to vehicle improvements, better infrastructure and public safety campaigns.
- But the rate of crash deaths started rising again about a decade ago, spiking during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2022 was still in the late pandemic era, and it's unclear whether things may have changed since then.
Between the lines: Despite the panic over recent flying incidents, roadway fatalities dwarf air fatalities every single year.
- Groups like the NSC observe April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
Flashback: "How much longer will a civilized nation endure such mass mayhem?" the NSC asked in 1955 after 602 Americans died on roadways over a single Christmas weekend.
- It took 13 more years for seatbelts to be required in all new vehicles — and the NSC now wants similar action to curb distracted driving.
The last word: "A lot of us feel like we can multitask, but we know from studies that there's no such thing as multitasking," Chung says. "The human brain does not allow for it."
- "The cognitive challenges that one faces while distracted when driving, it's almost like being drunk."
