Distracted driving adds to Indiana's traffic fatality rate
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Distracted driving is a pervasive problem on American roadways, and Indiana is among the states cracking down in recent years.
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 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data.
- More than 62,000 crashes involved distracted cellphone use in 2022 alone, NHTSA says.
- These stats likely underestimate the problem because crash data often relies on self-reporting, National Safety Council executive vice president of safety leadership and advocacy Mark Chung tells Axios.
Flashback: Indiana passed a law in 2020 prohibiting holding or using a mobile device while driving.
- Violating Indiana's hands-free driving law is a Class C infraction, which carries a fine of up to $500.
- Before that, Indiana had a law banning texting and driving, but the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals deemed it unenforceable in 2016 because of difficulty determining if a driver was texting.
Reality check: The 2020 legislation has not curbed rising fatal highway crashes. Indiana recorded 897 highways fatalities in 2020, 932 in 2021 and 949 in 2022.
By the numbers: According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI), police across the state issued 18,887 hands free citations in 2024, a new high and the third consecutive annual increase.
- 14,582 citations were issued in 2022, and 14,957 were issued in 2023.
- Marion County leads the state in share of citations.
Threat level: The Indiana Department of Transportation says on average, people who text and drive take their attention away from the road for five seconds at a time.
- At 55 mph, that is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field blindfolded.
Between the lines: Despite the panic over recent flying incidents, roadway fatalities dwarf air fatalities every year.
State of play: As part of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Indiana law enforcement agencies spent two weeks in April participating in a traffic enforcement campaign focused on stopping distracted drivers and speeders.
- State officials say distracted driving and speeding caused more than 17,000 crashes and 230 deaths across Indiana in 2024.
What they're saying: "Distracted driving isn't just risky, it's deadly," ICJI traffic safety director James Bryan said in a statement. "Taking your eyes off the road for even just a few seconds can change a life forever. No text, call or notification is worth the cost of a crash."
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.
The bottom line: "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."