Revealed: Most common causes of distracted driver incidents in the US

The study by Florida personal injury attorneys at Fasig Brooks analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to examine the number of traffic incidents involving a distracted driver, identifying the most common distracting factors. The figures analyzed are from 2018-2022, ranking the most frequent distractions over the five years.

The most common distraction, accounting for 1,208 driving incidents recorded as involving a distracted driver is being ‘distracted by an outside person, object, or event.’ This may include watching a nearby gathering of pedestrians while trying to navigate through traffic or being distracted by looking for a parking space instead of looking at the road and cars ahead.

Second on the list are distractions ‘by other occupants’ or passengers of the vehicle. This distraction has been attributed to 677 reported distractions over the five years analyzed. For example, this may occur if a parent is distracted by trying to settle an argument between children in the back seat, momentarily diverting attention from the road, or friends having a loud conversation, minimizing the driver’s ability to concentrate.

Three cell phone-related distractions follow in the ranking, collectively accounting for 1,901 distracted driver incidents from 2018-2022. However, individually distracted due to ‘other cellular phone related’ factor ranks third, distracted while ‘manipulating a cellular phone’ places fourth, and distracted ‘while talking or listening to cellular phone’ ranks fifth. These factors accounted for 671, 649, and 581 recorded incidents, respectively.

While drivers using their cell phones to text, make calls, or scroll playlists for music present prominent dangers on the road, ‘other cellular phone related’ distractions create one of the biggest risks of incidents, according to the findings. This may include scenarios such as Bluetooth connectivity issues between a phone and a car’s audio system, taking the driver’s attention away from the road, or watching a video on a phone screen.

Most Common Driver Distractions Contributing to Incidents:

Sixth on the list are incidents which occur ‘when using or reaching for a device or object brought into the vehicle’, which was a distracting factor leading to 533 recorded incidents, over the analyzed period.

Seventh are distractions caused ‘while using other components or controls integral to the vehicle’, which was recorded as contributing to 299 incidents, as identified by the study. An example of distraction may include adjusting the rear view mirror which leads to failing to notice traffic slowing.

Drivers distracted by ‘eating and drinking’ is the eighth-most common distraction leading to a traffic incident, attributed to 214 incidents between 2018-2022. This is followed by ‘adjusting audio or climate controls’ in ninth, recorded as a distraction in 163 incidents.

In tenth are incidents attributed to drivers becoming ‘lost in thought or daydreaming’, which was recorded in 102 incidents over the period analyzed. While distractions caused ‘by a moving object in the vehicle’ ranks 11th, recorded to have led to driver distraction in 66 incidents.

The 12th and final common driver distraction leading to traffic incidents are ‘smoking related’ distractions, which were identified to be a recorded distraction in 38 incidents between 2018-2022.

An expert from Fasig Brooks commented: “As a driver, it’s your responsibility to stay focused and prioritize safety—for yourself, your passengers, and everyone else on the road.

“Even seconds of distraction can result in severe accidents. Watching passers-by, looking at your phone for a few moments or turning to passengers may seem harmless, but they can lead to tragic consequences.

“Small actions—like putting your phone on silent or securing loose objects—can make a huge difference and even save lives or avoid long-lasting devastation.”