Report: Distracted Driving Contributes to 57% of All U.S. Traffic Collisions

Drivers are looking at their phones instead of the road in higher shares than ever during the pandemic, according to a recent report.

1 minute read

December 9, 2020, 8:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Text and Drive

Ovidiu Dugulan / Shutterstock

Driving analytics company Zendrive has released a new collision report that quantifies the effects of distracted driving on traffic safety, showing a large proportion of drivers looking at their phones instead of the road—a trend that has only worsened since the outset of the pandemic.

Lynn Walford shares insights from the new report, noting the headline finding near the top: distracted driving now contributes to 57 percent of all traffic collisions.

Tge latest data shows increasingly reckless driver behavior. "Compared to January of this year, phone use frequency is 17% higher in November 2020, while rapid accelerations are up 36%," writes Walford. These kinds of driving prctices have tragic results. "According to AAA, phone distraction alone can increase the risk of collision by up to 83%. With pedestrian fatalities at their highest levels in decades, these new findings highlight a significant danger to public health."

The data from the Zendive report backs up previous reports about increasing traffic fatalities on U.S. roads during the pandemic. The Zendive report also includes a number of useful infographics to help illustrate the scale of the public health risk posed by distracted driving.

Sunday, December 6, 2020 in Auto Connected Car News

Close-up of 'Red Line Subway Entry' sign with Braille below and train logo above text in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago Red Line Extension Could Transform the South Side

The city’s transit agency is undertaking its biggest expansion ever to finally bring rail to the South Side.

November 24, 2023 - The Architect's Newspaper

stack of books

Planetizen’s Top Planning Books of 2023

The world is changing, and planning with it.

November 24, 2023 - Planetizen Team

Row of brick three-story townhomes in Britih Columbia.

More Affordable Housing for People, Less for Cars

Most jurisdictions have off-street parking requirements that increase motorists’ convenience but reduce housing affordability. It’s time to reform these policies for the sake of efficiency and fairness.

November 20, 2023 - Todd Litman

View of downtown Seattle with construction cranes and cloudy sky as seen from top of Space Needle.

Seattle Council Rejects Transportation Impact Fee

Councilmembers who opposed the proposal say the fee would have slowed housing development and raised housing costs.

16 minutes ago - The Registry

Close-up of driver's side of silver truck with cloud of dirty emissions from tailpipe.

FHWA Issues Emissions Tracking Rule

The agency will require states to monitor transportation emissions and create plans to address air pollution.

1 hour ago - Route Fifty

Close-up of bus driver from behind with only hand visible on steering wheel.

FTA Proposes Measures to Prevent Transit Operator Fatigue

Public transit is the only type of transportation not already subject to ‘hours of service’ and fatigue risk management regulations.

3 hours ago - Safety & Health

Assistant/Associate Professor in Indigenous Planning

University of New Mexico - School of Architecture & Planning

Principal Planner

Placer County

Coastal Program Analyst III

San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC)

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.