Study: Ohio drivers are less distracted by phones than other Americans
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Buckeye State drivers spent less time on their phones than the average American in 2025, a new analysis from Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) shows.
Why it matters: Distracted driving leads to thousands of crashes in Ohio every year, though recent crash data shows signs of improvement.
- Officials credit that to enforcement of a new law cracking down on the dangerous practice.
State of play: Ohioans tapped their phones while driving 7% less than the average U.S. driver, per CMT data.
- And Ohio drivers spent 5% less time talking on the phone than the average American.
Zoom in: Cuyahoga County drivers are among the most distracted drivers in the state.
- They were recorded tapping their phones — such as to text — well above the state average and more than all the surrounding counties.
- Franklin County drivers similarly tap their phones more than the state average and more than most other Central Ohio counties.
How it works: CMT analyzed roughly 190 million trips taken by hundreds of thousands of Ohio drivers who opted in to programs, typically from insurance companies, that reward safe driving behavior.
- Such programs involve apps that track distracted phone usage — CMT aggregated and anonymized that information with help from AI to get statewide and county-level data.
Context: A 2023 state law made texting while driving a primary offense. Previously, law enforcement could issue citations only after pulling drivers over for another violation (like speeding).
- Drivers cannot text, scroll or manually input GPS directions while moving, but can hold a phone to their ear during calls and text while stopped at a red light.
Between the lines: A sharp increase in distracted driving citations followed, and Ohio's traffic safety trends improved in 2025.
- The State Highway Patrol reported a 10% year-over-year decline in fatal and serious crashes attributed to distracted driving.
- And preliminary crash data shows that overall traffic deaths fell by 3%.
What they're saying: "Ohio's progress is worth celebrating," ODOT director Pamela Boratyn said in a news release. "However, we still see too many drivers focused on their phones instead of the road."
- "Ohio's results show the measurable impact of hands-free laws on real driving behavior," CMT co-founder Sam Madden added.
