Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Nov;100(11):2213-9.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.187179. Epub 2010 Sep 23.

Trends in fatalities from distracted driving in the United States, 1999 to 2008

Fernando A Wilson  1 , Jim P Stimpson
Affiliations

Trends in fatalities from distracted driving in the United States, 1999 to 2008

Fernando A Wilson et al. Am J Public Health. 2010 Nov.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined trends in distracted driving fatalities and their relation to cell phone use and texting volume.

Methods: The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) records data on all road fatalities that occurred on public roads in the United States from 1999 to 2008. We studied trends in distracted driving fatalities, driver and crash characteristics, and trends in cell phone use and texting volume. We used multivariate regression analysis to estimate the relation between state-level distracted driving fatalities and texting volumes.

Results: After declining from 1999 to 2005, fatalities from distracted driving increased 28% after 2005, rising from 4572 fatalities to 5870 in 2008. Crashes increasingly involved male drivers driving alone in collisions with roadside obstructions in urban areas. By use of multivariate analyses, we predicted that increasing texting volumes resulted in more than 16,000 additional road fatalities from 2001 to 2007.

Conclusions: Distracted driving is a growing public safety hazard. Specifically, the dramatic rise in texting volume since 2005 appeared to be contributing to an alarming rise in distracted driving fatalities. Legislation enacting texting bans should be paired with effective enforcement to deter drivers from using cell phones while driving.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Percentage of fatalities resulting from distraction and number of cell phone subscriptions per capita, by year: Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 1999–2008.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Percentage of fatalities resulting from distraction and average number of monthly text messages sent (in millions), by year: Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 1999–2008.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Predicted number of distracted driving fatalities without text messaging compared with the actual number of fatalities: Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2001–2007. Note. Estimates were based on multivariate regression analysis adjusting for average inches of precipitation, average temperature, state unemployment rate, percentage of urban vs rural vehicle-miles traveled, total vehicle-miles traveled, region, and year.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Auto Alliance Alliance announces support for ban on hand-held text messaging and hand-held calling while driving. Available at: http://www.autoalliance.org/index.cfm?objectid=E7EC3607-1D09-317F-BBC72A.... Accessed January 22, 2010
    1. AAA. AAA campaign aims to pass texting while driving bans in all 50 states by 2013; together with foundation launches “Heads Up Driving Week.”. Available at: http://www.aaanewsroom.net/Main/Default.asp?CategoryID=7&ArticleID=711. Accessed January 22, 2010.
    1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Traffic safety facts research note: an examination of driver distraction as recorded in NHTSA databases. US Department of Transportation. Available at: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811216.pdf. Accessed January 22, 2010
    1. Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) New data from VTTI provides insight into cell phone use and driving distraction. Available at: http://www.vtti.vt.edu/PDF/7-22-09-VTTI-Press_Release_Cell_phones_and_Dr.... Accessed January 22, 2010
    1. Nelson E, Atchley P, Little TD. The effects of perception of risk and importance of answering and initiating a cellular phone call while driving. Accid Anal Prev. 2009;41(3):438–444 - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources