Roughly 9 people die every day in distraction-related crashes, data reveals

JACKSON, Tenn. — Federal safety officials say distracted driving is claiming thousands of lives on American roads each year.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 3,275 people were killed in a single year — an average of about nine deaths every day.

What counts as distracted driving

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines distracted driving as anything that takes a driver’s eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, or mind off driving.

Texting is considered among the most dangerous behaviors because it involves all three types of distraction and can increase crash risk more than 23 times. Other distractions include reaching for food or drinks, eating, smoking, talking on the phone or with passengers, and adjusting in-car technology.

“Those crashes add up. At the end of the year, we’re talking roughly $100 billion in annual crash damages as a result of distracted driving. The extent to which we can collectively pay more attention to reduce those backend costs that we’re all experiencing,” said Jon Wey, research director for State Farm.

As of 2025, 48 states ban texting while driving. Twenty-four states have gone further, prohibiting the use of handheld phones altogether.

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