What is Distracted Driving?

Distracted driving is a huge topic right now, and has surpassed drunk driving as the number one topic of conversation about driving and the road. It does not discriminate; old or young, male or female, distracted driving affects us all.

But what exactly is distracted driving? Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person's attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety. These types of distractions include:

• Texting
• Using a cell phone or smartphone
• Eating and drinking
• Talking to passengers
• Grooming
• Reading, including maps
• Using a navigation system
• Watching a video
• Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player

But, because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction.

The best way to end distracted driving is to educate all Americans about the danger it poses, not only to drivers, but also to roadside construction crews, emergency personnel, law enforcement officers, surveyors and more. 

On this page, you'll find facts and statistics that are powerfully persuasive. If you don't already think distracted driving is a safety problem, please take a moment to learn more. And, as with everything on Distraction.gov, please share these facts with others. Together, we can help save lives.

Key Facts and Statistics

• In 2009, 5,474 people were killed in crashes involving driver distraction, and an estimated 448,000 were injured. (NHTSA)
• 16% of fatal crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving. (NHTSA)
• 20% of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving. (NHTSA)
• In the month of June 2011, more than 196 billion text messages were sent or received in the US, up nearly 50% from June 2009. (CTIA)
• Teen drivers are more likely than other age groups to be involved in a fatal crash where distraction is reported. In 2009, 16% of teen drivers involved in a fatal crash were reported to have been distracted. (NHTSA)
• 40% of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger. (Pew)
• Drivers who use hand-held devices are 4 times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (Monash University)
• Text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted. (VTTI)Sending or receiving a text takes a driver's eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent-at 55 mph-of driving the length of an entire football field, blind. (VTTI)
• Headset cell phone use is not substantially safer than hand-held use. (VTTI)
• Using a cell phone while driving - whether it's hand-held or hands-free delays a driver's reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent. (University of Utah)
• Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37%. (Carnegie Mellon)

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Struck-by Accidents in Construction/Vehicle Back-Over

 The US Department of Labor (DOL) has produced a series of prevention videos regarding safety in industry and on the jobsite. To see the series, go here.

In the U.S., more than 800 construction workers die every year while on the job. Being struck by vehicles, heavy equipment, and other objects is the top cause of injuries and the second cause of death for construction workers, killing more than 150 workers in 2009. But these injuries and deaths can be prevented. 

Employers have a responsibility to provide a safe workplace and required protective equipment. You'll see that taking the right protective steps saves lives. 

All scenes are based on true stories. A surveyor was spray painting the ground to outline the area for a new building pad. At the same time, the driver of a wheel tractor scraper was moving forward to get the ground ready for pad construction. There was no spotter at the site, and there was no internal traffic control plan in place. Before backing up to go over the ground again, the driver checked his rearview and side mirrors. He didn't see anyone in his mirrors, so he  up. The driver's back-up alarm didn't work, so the surveyor did not hear the scraper coming towards her. As the driver backed up, he ran over the surveyor. She died from the injuries.

Let's look at the events leading up to this tragic incident, and see how it could have been prevented. When a vehicle on a construction site has an obstructed view to the rear OSHA's standard requires employers to provide that vehicle with a working back-up alarm, or a spotter on site to tell the driver when it is safe to back up. Now let's see what happens when protective measures are in place. Although there is now a working back-up alarm, it is barely audible over the background noise, so as an added safety measure there is also a spotter on site wearing a reflective vest. There is also an internal traffic control plan in place. This plan helps protect workers because it tells the drivers of moving vehicles and equipment the safest way to move around the work site. So this time, before backing up, the scraper's driver waits for the spotter's signal so he knows the area is clear to enter. Now as the driver reverses, the back-up alarm can be heard and no workers are near the scraper.

This example shows the importance of employers following OSHA's vehicle safety standards for construction sites to ensure that workers are provided with a safe workplace.

These types of construction worker deaths are preventable.

The protection measures shown here save workers' lives. Please follow OSHA's safety standards at worksites: it could be the difference between life and death. If you would like more information, contact OSHA at www.osha.gov or 1-800-321-OSHA.

To view the video or get the transcript, go here.

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