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Distracted Driving Statistics Nationally and For Michigan: What You Need To Know

June 2, 2022 by Steven M. Gursten

Michigan Distracted Driving Statistics What You Need To Know

The distracted driving car accident statistics show that auto accidents involving distracted drivers have increased 11% in the U.S. and 27% in Michigan over the last five years. 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?

According to the distracted driving car accident statistics, there were 986,000 distracted driving-related car accidents in the U.S. in 2019, which was an 11% increase from 885,000 in 2015. There were 2,394 distracted driving-related crashes where a driver was using a cell phone in Michigan in 2020, which was up 27% from 1,888 in 2016.

How many people die from distracted driving?

According to the distracted driving car accident statistics, 3,142 people have died from a distracted driving car accident in the U.S. in 2019. Fatal distracted driving-related auto accidents where a driver was using a cell phone in Michigan increased approximately 88% between 2016 and 2020 (from 8 to 15).

What percentage of car accidents are caused by distracted driving?

Distracted driving was a contributor factor in 9% of all fatal crashes and 15% of all injury crashes in the U.S. in 2019. There were 14,326 “driver distracted” auto accidents in Michigan in 2020, which was nearly 6% of all Michigan crashes that year.

Nearly 1% of all car accidents in Michigan in 2020 involved drivers “using a cell phone.”

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

According to the distracted driving car accident statistics, nine percent of the teenage drivers (between the ages of 15 and 19) who were involved in fatal auto accidents in the U.S. in 2019 were distracted. More than 17% of the drivers involved in car crashes while “using a cell phone” in Michigan in 2020 were “20 years of age or younger.”

Cell phone use while driving is a major distraction

There were 387 fatal car crashes in which cell phone use was a distraction in the U.S. in 2019, resulting in 422 fatalities. During that same year in the U.S., 28,000 people were injured in auto accidents involving cell phone use. In Michigan in 2020, 2,394 crashes occurred where drivers were using a cell phone.

Distracted driving car accident death statistics

According to the distracted driving car accident statistics, distracted driving-related auto accidents caused 3,142 deaths in the U.S. in 2019. Distracted driving was a factor in 9% of all fatal crashes in the U.S. that year. Fatal automobile accidents where a driver was using a cell phone in Michigan increased approximately 88% between 2016 and 2020.

Distracted driving crash data

According to the distracted driving car accident statistics, there were 986,000 distracted driving-related automobile crashes in the U.S. in 2019. In Michigan in 2020, there were 2,394 distracted driving-related crashes where a driver was using a cell phone. Of the teen drivers involved in fatal crashes in the U.S. in 2019, 9% were distracted.

Were you injured in a crash with a negligent driver? Speak to an attorney at Michigan Auto Law first

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: “Distracted Driving 2019,” NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts-Research Note, April 2021; Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, Fact Sheets, “Cell Phone Use,” 2020; Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, Data Query Tool, “Crash: Driver Distracted (2016+)” and “Driver Distracted”; “Teen Distracted Driver Data,” NHTSA, “Teens and Distracted Driving 2019,” February 2021)

Distracted Driving Statistics Nationally and For Michigan: What You Need To Know

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