TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTS
Research Note

DOT HS 813 111		
Summary of Statistical Findings

April 2021

Distracted Driving 2019
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
works to reduce the occurrence of distracted driving
and raise awareness of its dangers. This risky behavior
poses a danger to vehicle occupants as well as pedestrians and pedalcyclists. Driver distraction is a specific
type of driver inattention. Distraction occurs whendrivers divert their attention from the driving task tofocus on some other activity. Often discussions regarding distracted driving center around cell phone use
and texting, but distracted driving also includes otheractivities such as eating, talking to other passengers, oradjusting the radio or climate controls. A distractionaffected crash is any crash in which a driver was identified as distracted at the time of the crash.
■ Nine percent of fatal crashes, 15 percent of injury
crashes, and 15 percent of all police-reported motor
vehicle traffic crashes in 2019 were reported as­distraction-affected crashes.
■ In 2019 there were 3,142 people killed and an estimated additional 424,000 people injured in motor
vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.
■ Six percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes in2019 were reported as distracted at the time of thecrashes. Nine percent of drivers 15 to 20 years oldinvolved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted.
This age group has the largest proportion of drivers
who were distracted at the time of the fatal crashes.
■ In 2019 there were 566 nonoccupants (pedestrians, pedalcyclists, and others) killed in distractionaffected crashes.

Methodology
This research note contains information on fatal motor
vehicle traffic crashes based on data from the Fatality
Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and non-fatal motor
vehicle traffic crashes from the National Automotive
Sampling System (NASS) General Estimates System

NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis(GES) and Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS). Referto the end of this publication for more information on
FARS, NASS GES, and CRSS.
Take caution that NASS GES estimates and CRSS
estimates are not comparable due to different sample
designs. The national estimates produced from NASS
GES and CRSS data are subject to sampling errors. The
NASS GES Analytic User’s Manual 1988–2015 (Report
No. DOT HS 812 320) and the CRSS Analytic User’s
Manual 2016–2019 (Report No. DOT HS 813 022) contain information on sampling errors. In addition, theCRSS: Generalized Variance Functions (Report No. DOT
HS 813 041) technical report provides generalized standard errors for 2016–2019 CRSS estimates. Also refer toAppendix C of the Traffic Safety Facts 2015 annual report(Report No. DOT HS 812 384) for generalized standard
errors for 2015 NASS GES estimates.
As defined in the Overview of the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration’s Driver Distraction Program (Report
No. DOT HS 811 299), distraction is a specific type of
inattention that occurs when drivers divert their attention from the driving task to focus on some other activity. The document describes distraction as a subset of
inattention (which also includes fatigue, and physicaland emotional conditions of the driver). However, while
NHTSA may define the terms in this manner, inattention and distraction are often used interchangeably
or simultaneously in other material, including police
crash reports (PCRs). It is important that NHTSA andNHTSA’s data users be aware of these differences indefinitions. It is also important to acknowledge theinherent limitations in the data collection for distractionaffected crashes and the resulting injuries and fatalities.
The appendix of this document contains a table that
describes the coding for distraction-affected crashes for
FARS, NASS GES, and CRSS, and a discussion regarding limitations in the distracted driving data.

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Data
Much attention across the country has been focusedon the dangers of using cell phones and other electronic devices while driving. In 2019 there were 387 fatal
crashes reported as having cell phone use as a distraction(13% of all distraction-affected fatal crashes). For these
distraction-affected crashes, the PCR stated that at least
one of the involved drivers was talking on, listening to,
or engaged in some other cell phone activity at the timeof the crash. A total of 422 people died in fatal crashes
involving cell-phone-related activities as distractions.

Fatalities in Distraction-Affected Crashes
In 2019 there were 2,895 fatal crashes that involved distraction (9% of 33,244 fatal crashes) nationwide. These
crashes involved 3,008 distracted drivers, since somecrashes involved multiple distracted drivers. Six percent (3,008 of 50,930) of the drivers involved in fatal
crashes were distracted. In distraction-affected crashes,
3,142 fatalities (9% of 36,096 fatalities) occurred. Table 1
provides information on fatal crashes, drivers involvedin fatal crashes, and fatalities in distraction-affectedcrashes in 2019.
Table 1

Fatal Crashes, Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes, and Fatalities in Distraction-Affected Crashes, and Cell Phone Use byDistracted Drivers, 2019
Distraction-Affected (D-A)

Cell Phone in Use

Total

Number

Percentage of Total

Number

Percentage of D-A

Crashes

33,244

2,895

9%

387

13%

Drivers Involved

50,930

3,008

6%

390

13%

Fatalities

36,096

3,142

9%

422

13%

Source: FARS 2019 Annual Report File (ARF)

Table 2 presents data on drivers involved in fatal crashes
in 2019 by age group. Nine percent (344 of 3,968) of drivers 15 to 20 years old involved in fatal crashes were distracted at the time of the crashes. This age group has

the largest proportion of drivers within each respective age group who were distracted (column titled “AllDistracted Drivers: Percentage of Total Drivers in This
Age Group”).

Table 2

Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes, by Age Group, Distraction, and Cell Phone Use, 2019
Total Drivers
Age
Group

All Distracted Drivers

Percentage of
Number Total Drivers Number

Drivers Using Cell Phones

Percentage ofTotal Drivers inThis Age Group

Percentage of All
Distracted Drivers

Number

Percentage of
All Distracted Drivers
In This Age Group

Percentage ofDrivers Using
Cell Phones

15–20

3,968

8%

344

9%

11%

66

19%

17%

21–24

4,590

9%

297

6%

10%

61

21%

16%

25–34

10,507

21%

686

7%

23%

90

13%

23%

35–44

8,301

16%

531

6%

18%

79

15%

20%

45–54

7,532

15%

392

5%

13%

48

12%

12%

55–64

7,166

14%

315

4%

10%

32

10%

8%

65–74

4,404

9%

208

5%

7%

10

5%

3%

75+

3,229

6%

184

6%

6%

3

2%

1%

Total

50,930

100%

3,008

6%

100%

390

13%

100%

Source: FARS 2019 ARF
Notes: The total includes 61 drivers 14 and younger, 4 of whom were noted as distracted. Additionally, the total includes 1,172 of unknown age, 47 of whom were noted as
distracted.

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3■ Drivers in the 21–24 age group made up 9 percent ofdrivers in fatal crashes, but were 10 percent of all distracted drivers and 16 percent of drivers distracted
by cell phones in fatal crashes.
■ Drivers in the 25–34 age group made up 21 percent ofdrivers in fatal crashes, but were 23 percent of all distracted drivers and 23 percent of drivers distracted
by cell phones in fatal crashes.
■ Drivers in the 35–44 age group made up 16 percent ofdrivers in fatal crashes, but were 18 percent of all distracted drivers and 20 percent of drivers distracted
by cell phones in fatal crashes.
The distributions of drivers by age group for total drivers involved in fatal crashes and percentage of distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes, and distracted
drivers involved in fatal crashes and percentage of distracted drivers using cell phones during fatal crashes,
are shown in Figures 1a and 1b.
Figure 1a

Drivers Involved and Percentage of Drivers Involved in
Fatal Crashes Who Were Distracted, by Age Group, 201912,00010,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0

11%
10%
% of Total Drivers Who 9%
Were Distracted
8%
9%
6% 7%
7%
6%
5%
6%
5%
6%
5%
4%
4%
3%
2%
3,9 4,5 10,5 8,3 7,5 7,1 4,4 3,2
68 90
07 01 32 66 04 29 1%
15- 21- 25- 35- 45- 55- 65- 75+ 0%
20 24 34 44 54 64 74
Total Drivers Involved

Age Group

Percentage of Total Drivers
Who Were Distracted

Total Drivers Involved

14,000Figure 1b

Distracted Drivers and Percentage of Distracted Drivers
Involved in Fatal Crashes Who Were Using Cell Phones,by Age Group, 2019800

All Distracted Drivers

All Distracted Drivers

700
600
500 19%% of All Distracted
Drivers Who Were
Using Cell Phones

21%

400

13% 15%

300

12%

10%

35%
30%
25%
20%
15%

208

184

10%

2%
100 344 297 686 531 392 315
5%0
7
15- 21- 25- 35- 45- 55- 6554
64
34
74 5+
44
20
24
Age Group

5%

200

0%

Percentage of All Distracted Drivers
Who Were Using Cell Phones

Comparing the percentage of drivers of each age groupinvolved in fatal crashes to the percentage involved in
distraction-affected fatal crashes points to overrepresentation of distraction in drivers under 45. This is seen bycomparing the columns titled “Total Drivers: Percentage
of Total Drivers” and “All Distracted Drivers: Percentage
of All Distracted Drivers.” For all fatal crashes, 8 percentof the drivers involved were 15 to 20 years old (3,968 of
the 50,930 drivers involved in fatal crashes). However,
11 percent of the distracted drivers were 15 to 20 years
old (344 of the 3,008 distracted drivers in fatal crashes).
Seventeen percent of all the distracted drivers using cell
phones were 15 to 20 years old (66 of the 390 drivers distracted by cell phones involved in fatal crashes). Using
the same comparisons as for the 15–20 age group:

Source: FARS 2019 ARF

Table 3 shows the role of the people killed in distractionaffected crashes in 2019. The large majority of fatalities
in distraction-affected crashes (and in all fatal crashes)
were motor vehicle occupants (including motorcyclists): 80 percent for all fatal crashes and 82 percent for­distraction-affected fatal crashes. The other victims were
nonoccupants—pedestrians, pedalcyclists, and others.
Distracted drivers were involved in the deaths of 566
nonoccupants in 2019. In general, looking at occupant
type, the percentage of fatalities in distraction-affectedfatal crashes is very similar to that in all fatal crashes.
Table 3

Fatalities in All Crashes and Distraction-Affected Crashes,by Person Type, 2019
Total Fatalities
Person Type
Total

Distraction-Affected (D-A)
Fatalities

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

36,096

100%

3,142

100%

Occupants
Driver

22,613

63%

1,853

59%

Passenger

6,145

17%

723

23%

Total Occupants

28,758

80%

2,576

82%

Nonocccupants
Pedestrian

6,205

17%

462

15%

Pedalcyclist

846

2%

77

2%

Other/Unknown

287

1%

27

1%

Total
Nonoccupants

7,338

20%

566

18%

Source: FARS 2019 ARF

Source: FARS 2019 ARF

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4

Sixty-nine percent of the distracted drivers involved in
fatal crashes were males as compared to 73 percent ofdrivers in all fatal crashes in 2019.

Estimates of People Injured in Distraction-Affected Crashes
In 2019 an estimated 2,740,000 people were injured inpolice-reported traffic crashes (Table 4). The number ofpeople injured in distraction-affected crashes in 2019was estimated at 424,000 (15% of all people injured).
An estimated 28,000 people were injured in 2019 incrashes involving cell phone use or other cell-phonerelated activities (7% of all people injured in distractionaffected crashes).
Table 4People Injured in All Crashes and Distraction-Affected
Crashes, 2015–2019
Distracted-Affected (D-A) Crashes
Cell Phone Use
Year

Total

Number

Percentage
of Total

Number

Percentage
of D-A

2015

2,455,000

393,000

16%

30,0008%

2016* 3,062,000

445,000

15%

34,0008%

2017* 2,745,000

435,000

16%

31,0007%

2018* 2,710,000

400,000

15%

33,0008%

2019* 2,740,000

424,000

15%

28,0007%

Sources: F ARS 2015–2018 Final File, 2019 ARF; NASS GES 2015; CRSS 2016–2019*CRSS estimates and NASS GES estimates are not comparable due to different
sample designs. Refer to end of document for more information about CRSS.

Over the past 5 years, the estimated number of people
injured in distraction-affected crashes has shown
decreases and increases. The percentage of people
injured in distraction-affected crashes as a portion of
all injured people has remained relatively constant.

Crashes of All Severity
Table 5 provides information for all police-reported
crashes from 2015 through 2019 including fatal crashes,
injury crashes, and property-damage-only (PDO)
crashes for the year. During this time period, the percentages of crashes of all severities that involve distractions fluctuated very little.

Attribute Selection
As discussed in the Methodology section of thisResearch Note, FARS, NASS GES, and CRSS wereaccessed to retrieve distraction-affected crashes. Table
A-1 contains every variable attribute available for coding for driver distraction along with examples to illustrate the meaning of the attribute. This is the coding
scheme available for FARS, NASS GES, and CRSS.
Table A-1 further indicates whether that attribute wasincluded in the analysis for distraction-affected crashes.
In 2012 the variable attributes changed to account fordifferent ways that PCRs from States describe generalcategories of distraction, inattention, and careless driving. These additional attributes provide a more accurate classification of the behavior indicated on the PCR.

Data Limitations
NHTSA recognizes that there are limitations to the collection and reporting of FARS, NASS GES, and CRSS
data with regard to driver distraction. The data collections for FARS, NASS GES, and CRSS are based on
PCRs and information gathered after the crashes haveoccurred.
One noteworthy challenge for collection of distracted
driving data is the PCR itself. Police crash reports varyacross jurisdictions, thus creating potential inconsistencies in reporting. Many variables on the police
crash report are nearly universal, but distraction is not
one of those variables. Some PCRs identify distraction
as a distinct reporting field while others do not havesuch a field and identification of distraction is based
upon the narrative portion of the report. This variation in reporting forms contributes to variation in thereported number of distraction-affected crashes. Anynational or State count of distraction-affected crashes
should be interpreted with this limitation in mind due
to potential underreporting in some States and overreporting in others.

In 2019 there were an estimated 287,000 distractionaffected injury crashes (15 percent of all injury crashes).
In these crashes, an estimated 294,000 drivers (8 percent of all drivers in injury crashes) were distracted at
the time of the crashes.

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5
Table 5

Traffic Crashes and Distraction-Affected Crashes, by Crash Severity, 2015–2019
Distracted-Affected (D-A) Crashes
Cell Phone Use
Year

2015

2016*

2017*

2018*

2019*

Crash Severity

Total

Number

Percentage of Total

Number

Percentage of D-A

Fatal Crash

32,538

3,242

10%

453

14%

Injury Crash

1,715,000

265,000

15%

21,0008%

PDO Crash

4,548,000

617,000

14%

48,0008%

Total

6,296,000

885,000

14%

69,0008%

Fatal Crash

34,748

3,197

9%

453

14%

Injury Crash

2,116,000

295,000

14%

23,0008%

PDO Crash

4,670,000

606,000

13%

42,0007%

Total

6,821,000

905,000

13%

66,0007%

Fatal Crash

34,560

3,003

9%

418

14%

Injury Crash

1,889,000

285,000

15%

21,0007%

PDO Crash

4,530,000

624,000

14%

50,0008%

Total

6,453,000

912,000

14%

71,0008%

Fatal Crash

33,919

2,645

8%

356

13%

Injury Crash

1,894,000

276,000

15%

21,0008%

PDO Crash

4,807,000

659,000

14%

38,0006%

Total

6,735,000

938,000

14%

60,0006%

Fatal Crash

33,244

2,895

9%

387

13%

Injury Crash

1,916,000

287,000

15%

21,0007%

PDO Crash

4,806,000

696,000

14%

40,0006%

Total

6,756,000

986,000

15%

61,0006%

Sources: F ARS 2015–2018 Final File, 2019 ARF; NASS GES 2015; CRSS 2016–2019*CRSS estimates and NASS GES estimates are not comparable due to different sample designs. Refer to end of document for more information about CRSS.

Table A-1

Attributes Included in “Driver Distracted by” Element and Indication of Inclusion in Distraction-Affected Definitions,
FARS, NASS GES, and CRSS, 2015–2019
Attribute

Description
Not Included

Not Distracted

Completely attentive to driving; no indication of distraction or noted as “Not Distracted”

Looked But Did Not See (deleted in 2018) Used when the driver was paying attention to driving (not distracted), but did not see the relevant vehicle, object, etc.
No Driver Present/Unknown if Driver
Present

Used when no driver is in this vehicle or when it is unknown if there was a driver present in this vehicle at thetime of the crash

Not Reported

No field available on PCR; field on PCR left blank; no other information available

Reported as Unknown if Distracted

Used when the case materials specifically indicate unknown
Included

By Other Occupant(s)Used when the driver was distracted by another occupant in this driver’s vehicle prior to realization of impending
danger; includes conversing with or looking at another occupant

By a Moving Object in Vehicle

Used when the driver was distracted by a moving object in this driver’s vehicle prior to realization of impending
danger; includes a dropped object, a moving pet, insect, or cargo

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6
Table A-1

Attributes Included in “Driver Distracted by” Element and Indication of Inclusion in Distraction-Affected Definitions,
FARS, NASS GES, and CRSS, 2015–2019
Attribute

Description

While Talking or Listening to Cell Phone Used when the driver was talking or listening on a cell phone; includes talking or listening on a “hands-free” orBluetooth-enabled phone
While Manipulating Cell Phone

Used when the driver was dialing or text messaging (texting) on a cell phone; any manual button/control
actuation on the phone qualifies

Other Cell Phone Related

Used when the case material indicates the driver was distracted from the driving task due to cell phone
involvement, but none of the specified codes are applicable (e.g., reaching for cell phone). This attribute is also
applied when specific details regarding cell phone distraction/usage are not provided.

Adjusting Audio or Climate Controls

Used when the driver was distracted from the driving task while adjusting the air conditioner, heater, radio,cassette, using the radio, using the cassette, or CD that are mounted in the vehicle

While Using Other Component/Controls Used when the driver was distracted while manipulating a control in the vehicle including adjusting headlamps
Integral to Vehicle
or interior lights, controlling windows (power or manual), manipulating door locks (power or manual), adjustingside view mirrors (power or manual), adjusting rear view mirror, adjusting seat (power or manual), adjusting
steering wheel, adjusting seat belt, on-board navigational devices, etc.
While Using or Reaching for Device/
Object Brought Into Vehicle

Used when the driver was distracted while using or reaching for a device in the vehicle including a radar detector,
CDs, razor, music portable CD player, headphones, a navigational device, laptop or tablet PC, etc.

Distracted by Outside Person, Object,
or Event

Used when the driver was distracted by an outside person, object, or event prior to realization of impending
danger; includes animals on the roadside, a previous crash, or non-traffic-related sign (e.g., advertisement,
electronic billboard). Do not use this attribute for a person, object, or event that the driver has recognized and forwhich the driver has taken some action (e.g., avoiding a pedestrian on the roadway).

Eating or Drinking

Used when the driver was eating or drinking or involved in an activity related to these actions (e.g., picking foodfrom carton placed on passenger seat, reaching to throw out used food wrapper)

Smoking Related

Used when the driver was smoking or involved in an activity related to smoking, such as lighting a cigarette,
putting ashes in the ash tray, etc.

Distraction/Inattention

Used exclusively when “Distraction/Inattention” or “Inattention/Distraction” is noted in the case material as one
combined attribute

Distraction/CarelessUsed exclusively when “Distraction/Careless” or “Careless/Distraction” is noted in the case material as one
combined attribute

Careless/Inattentive

Used exclusively when “Careless/Inattentive” or “Inattentive/Careless” is noted in the case material as one
combined attribute

Distraction (Distracted), Details
Unknown

Used when “distraction” or “distracted” is noted in the case material, but specific distraction(s) cannot be
identified

Inattention (inattentive), Details
Unknown

Used when “inattention” or “inattentive” is noted in the case material, but it cannot be identified if this refers to a
distraction

Lost in Thought/Day Dreaming

Used when the driver was not completely attentive to driving because he/she was thinking about items other thanthe driving task

Other Distraction

Used when details regarding this driver’s distraction are known but none of the specified codes are applicable

Distracted Driver of a Non-Contact
Vehicle (new in 2018 from Related
Factors - Crash Level Element)

Used for situations where the investigating officer indicates that the driver of a non-contact vehicle (“phantom
vehicle”) was distracted.

The following are potential reasons for underreportingof distraction-affected crashes.
■ Self-reported data elements, such as admitting to texting while driving, are always subject to bias (underreporting or false reporting). In some cases, the only
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source of distraction information for an investigating
police officer may be the surviving driver’s accountof the crash and the likelihood that the driver might
admit to a negative behavior such as texting whiledriving might be small.
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7■ If a driver fatality occurs in the crash, law enforcement must rely on the crash investigation in order toreport on whether driver distraction was involved.
Law enforcement may not have information to indicate distraction. These investigations may rely on
witness account and oftentimes these accounts may
not be available either.
■ Technologies are changing at a rapid speed and it
is difficult to update PCRs to accommodate thesechanges. Without broad-sweeping changes to PCRs
to incorporate new technologies and features oftechnologies, it is difficult to capture the data thatinvolves driver interaction with these devices.
The following is a challenge in quantifying external
distractions.

■ In the reporting of distraction-affected crashes,
oftentimes an external distraction is identified asa distinct type of distraction. Some scenarios captured under external distractions might actually be
related to the task of driving (e.g., looking at a streetsign). However, the crash reports may not differentiate these driving-related tasks from other external
distractions (looking at previous crash or billboard).
Currently, the category of external distractions is
included in the counts of distraction-affected crashes.
The most current information on distracted-driving
laws by State is available on the Governors Highway
Safety Association website at https://ghsa.org/
state-laws/issues/distracted%20driving.

Fatality Analysis Reporting System
FARS contains data on every fatal motor vehicle trafficcrash within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, andPuerto Rico. To be included in FARS, a traffic crash must
involve a motor vehicle traveling on a public trafficway that
results in the death of a vehicle occupant or a nonoccupant
within 30 days of the crash. The Annual Report File (ARF)
is the FARS data file associated with the most recent available year, which is subject to change when it is finalized
the following year to the final version known as the Final
File. The additional time between the ARF and the Final
File provides the opportunity for submission of important variable data requiring outside sources, which maylead to changes in the final counts. More information on

FARS can be found at www.nhtsa.gov/crash-data-systems/
fatality-analysis-reporting-system.

Crash Report Sampling System

Methodology Change for Estimating People Injured

NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis(NCSA) redesigned the nationally representative sample
of police-reported traffic crashes, which estimates thenumber of police-reported injury and property-damageonly crashes in the United States. The new system, called
CRSS, replaced the National Automotive Sampling System(NASS) General Estimates System (GES) in 2016. Moreinformation on CRSS can be found at www.nhtsa.gov/
crash-data-systems/crash-report-sampling-system-crss.

NCSA changed the methodology of estimating people
nonfatally injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes. The new
approach combines people nonfatally injured from both
FARS and NASS GES/CRSS. This is done by extracting
people nonfatally injured in fatal crashes from FARS withpeople nonfatally injured in police-reported injury crashes
from NASS GES/CRSS. The old approach extracted people
nonfatally injured from only NASS GES/CRSS, regardlessof crash severity. This change in methodology caused someestimates of people injured to change for prior years.

The updated final counts for the previous data year will
be reflected with the release of the recent year’s ARF. For
example, along with the release of the 2019 ARF, the 2018
Final File was released to replace the 2018 ARF. The final
fatality count in motor vehicle traffic crashes for 2018 was
36,835, which was updated from 36,560 in the 2018 ARF.
The 2016 and 2017 Final Files have been amended, but thisamendment did not change the overall number of fatal
crashes or fatalities.

The suggested APA format citation for this document is:
National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2021, April).
Distracted driving 2019 (Research Note. Report No. DOT HS
813 111). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This research note and other general information
on highway traffic safety may be found at: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/#/
NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis

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