Distracted Driving Statistics Nationally & For Michigan

The distracted driving car accident statistics show that between 2018 and 2022 auto accidents involving distracted drivers have dropped 30.5 % in the U.S. and 18.4% in Michigan. Distracted driving is defined as any activity that diverts a driver’s attention from watching the road and driving safely.

The distracted driving car accident statistics for both the U.S. and Michigan show increases in crashes due to the driving behavior and confirms what I see anecdotally as a car accident lawyer everyday. Research on the dangers of driving while distracted show that texting drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash. Dialing a hand-held cell phone while driving makes it 12 times as likely that the driver will cause a crash.

How many car accidents are caused by distracted driving in the U.S.?

According to the national distracted driving statistics, there were 652,042 distracted driving-related car accidents in the U.S. in 2022, down 30.5% from 938,812 in 2018.

How many car accidents are caused by distracted driving in Michigan?

According to the Michigan distracted driving statistics, in 2022, there were 15,441 motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in the state which is an 18.4% drop from 18,927 in 2018.

How many people die from distracted driving in the U.S.?

According to the national distracted driving statistics, 3,308 people lost their lives in distracted driving-related crashes in the U.S. in 2022, an increase of 15.7% from 2,858 in 2018.

How many people die from distracted driving in Michigan?

According to the Michigan distracted driving statistics, fatal motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers were down 20.8% in the state in 2022, from 67 in 2018 to 53 in 2022.

How many people are injured in distracted driver accidents in the U.S?

According to the national distracted driving statistics, there were 289,310 people injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted driving in the U.S. in 2022, down 27.7% from 400,303 in 2018.

How many people are injured in distracted driver accidents in Michigan?

According to the Michigan distracted driving statistics, there were 4,118 injury crashes in Michigan in 2022, down 18.3% from 5,044 in 2018.

What percentage of car accidents are caused by distracted driving?

11% of all the motor vehicle accidents that occurred in the U.S. in 2022 were distracted-driving related. (NHTSA) In Michigan in 2022, 5.2% of all car crashes involved distracted driving. (Michigan Traffic Crash Facts)

Distracted driving car accident statistics vs drunk driving

Research shows that distracted driving is as dangerous as drunk driving. The University of Utah determined that “people are as impaired when they drive and talk on a cell phone as they are when they drive intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit.” The AAA-FTS equated distracted driving impairments with those of drunk driving.

Researchers at the University of Utah also stated:

“[D]riving while talking on a cell phone is as bad as or maybe worse than driving drunk . . .”

Teenagers tend to be the group who are the most distracted

296 or 9% of the 3,124 distracted drivers who were involved in fatal motor vehicle accidents in the U.S. in 2022 were between the ages of 15 and 20. (NHTSA) In Michigan in 2022, 3,206 or approximately 21% of the 15,441 distracted drivers in all crashes in Michigan were between the ages of 15 and 20 years of age. (Michigan Traffic Crash Facts)

Cell phone use while driving is a major distraction

There were 368 fatal distracted-driving-related car crashes in which cell phone use was a distraction in the U.S. in 2022, resulting in 402 fatalities. (NHTSA) There were also 26,151 people were injured in distraction-related auto accidents involving cell phone use.

In Michigan in 2022, there were 2,382 motor vehicle drivers using a cell phone at the time of a crash, down approximately 14% from 2,768 in 2021. (Michigan Traffic Crash Facts)

Distracted driving car accident death statistics

Distracted driving accidents killed 3,308 people in the U.S. in 2022, which was an increase of 15.7% from 2,858 in 2018. Fortunately, fatal distraction-related crashes dropped 20.8% in Michigan in 2022. There were 67 deadly distracting driver crashes in 2018, but only 53 in 2022.

Distracted driving crash data

Distracted driving auto accidents were down 30.5% in the U.S. in 2022, from 938,812 in 2018 to 652,042. Similarly, motor vehicles accidents involving distracted drivers fell 18.4% in Michigan in 2022, from 18,927 in 2018 to 15,441.

Were you injured in a crash with a negligent driver? Call the attorneys at Michigan Auto Law now!

If you have suffered a personal injury in a distracted driving car accident and you would like to speak with an experienced attorney, call toll free anytime 24/7 at (800) 968-1001 for a free consultation with one of our car accident attorneys. You can also get help from an experienced auto accident attorney by visiting our contact page or you can use the chat feature on our website. Steven Gursten is the current President of the American Association for Justice Distracted Driving Litigation Group. He lectures and teaches auto accident attorneys throughout the nation on what distracted driving is and on how to obtain evidence of distracted driving in their own cases. Steve has spoken at national lectures, seminars, conferences and webinars on the subject of distracted driving evidence and discovery. Also, Steve speaks to high school students and parent groups throughout Michigan as part of Joel Feldman’s End Distracted Driving Campaign school and parent presentations.

(Source: NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts – Research Note, “Distracted Driving in 2022,” published April 2024 (Tables 1, 2, 4, and 5); Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, Data Query Tool, Filters, “Crash: Driver Distracted (2016+)” for 2022 and 2018; Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, Data Query Tool, Filters, “Crash: Driver Distracted (2016+),” “Crash: Fatal Crash” for 2022 and 2018); Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, Data Query Tool, Filters, “Crash: Driver Distracted (2016+),” “Crash: Injury Crash” for 2022 and 2018; Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, Data Query Tool, Filters, “Crash: Driver Distracted (2016+),” “Driver Age” (“15 Years Old” through “20 Years Old”) for 2022 and 2021; Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, Fact Sheet, “Cell Phone Use,” 2022)