Distracted Driving Statistics Nationally and For Michigan: What You Need To Know
The distracted driving car accident statistics show that auto accidents involving distracted drivers in the U.S. dropped 6.2% between 2023 and 2024. In Michigan, distracted driver crashes dropped 4.6% over the same time period. 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 732,914 distracted driving-related car accidents in the U.S. in 2024. (NHTSA)
How many car accidents are caused by distracted driving in Michigan?
According to the Michigan distracted driving statistics, in 2024, there were 14,439 motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in the state. (Michigan Traffic Crash Facts)
How many people die from distracted driving in the U.S.?
According to the national distracted driving statistics, 3,208 people lost their lives in distracted driving-related crashes in the U.S. in 2024. (NHTSA)
How many people die from distracted driving in Michigan?
According to the Michigan distracted driving statistics, there were 56 fatal motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2024. (Michigan Traffic Crash Facts)
How many people are injured in distracted driver accidents in the U.S?
According to the national distracted driving statistics, there were 315,167 people injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted driving in the U.S. in 2024. (NHTSA)
How many people are injured in distracted driver accidents in Michigan?
According to the Michigan distracted driving statistics, there were 3,757 injury crashes in Michigan in 2024. (Michigan Traffic Crash Facts)
What percentage of car accidents are caused by distracted driving?
12% of all the motor vehicle accidents that occurred in the U.S. in 2024 were distracted-driving related. (NHTSA) In Michigan in 2024, 4.9% 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
315 or 10% of the 3,026 distracted drivers who were involved in fatal motor vehicle accidents in the U.S. in 2024 were between the ages of 15 and 20. (NHTSA) In Michigan in 2024, 3,013 or approximately 20.8% of the 14,439 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 404 fatal distracted-driving-related car crashes in which cell phone use was a distraction in the U.S. in 2024, resulting in 437 fatalities. (NHTSA) There were also 32,327 people were injured in distraction-related auto accidents involving cell phone use.
In Michigan in 2024, there were 2,112 motor vehicle drivers using a cell phone at the time of a crash. (Michigan Traffic Crash Facts)
Distracted driving car accident death statistics
Distracted driving accidents killed 3,208 people in the U.S. in 2024, down from 3,283 in 2023. (NHTSA) Fatal distraction-related crashes in Michigan remained at 56 for both 2023 and 2024. (Michigan Traffic Crash Facts)
Distracted driving crash data
Distracted driving auto accidents were down 6.2% in the U.S. in 2024, from 781,961 in 2023 to 732,914 in 2024. (NHTSA) Similarly, motor vehicle accidents involving distracted drivers fell 4.6% in Michigan in 2024, from 15,136 in 2023 to 14,439 in 2024. (Michigan Traffic Crash Facts)
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 2024,” published April 2026 (Tables 1-6); Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, Data Query Tool, Filters, “Crash: Driver Distracted (2016+)” for 2024; Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, Data Query Tool, Filters, “Crash: Driver Distracted (2016+),” “Crash: Fatal Crash” for 2024; Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, Data Query Tool, Filters, “Crash: Driver Distracted (2016+),” “Crash: Injury Crash” for 2024; Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, Data Query Tool, Filters, “Crash: Driver Distracted (2016+),” “Driver Age” (“15 Years Old” through “20 Years Old”) for 2024; Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, Fact Sheet, “Cell Phone Use,” 2024)
