Phones Are America's Driving Distraction No.1

Speaking on the cell phone and reading instant messages while you drive may seem like an obvious way of getting killed. However, plenty of Americans still do both, according to research from Harris Interactive. 74 percent of drivers in the United States have spoken on the cell phone while driving at least once while 21 percent have admitted to taking calls regularly when behind the wheel.

Just under 45 percent of people have checked their text messages while driving with 15 percent doing it frequently. Even though phones are America's premier driving distraction, there are plenty of others. Two in ten Americans have even admitted reading at least once while driving!

Description

This chart shows the % who have done each of the following once/frequently while driving.

Download Chart
Premium statistics
Production of cell phones by month in China 2021-2025
Premium statistics
Number of driving licenses in Saudi Arabia in 2024, by region
Premium statistics
Number of driving license cards in Saudi Arabia in 2024, by activity
Premium statistics
Number of driving licenses in Saudi Arabia in 2023, by city
Premium statistics
Preference for cell phones with free and ad-supported apps in Brazil 2022-2024
Premium statistics
Number of driving licenses in Germany 2025, by license category

Any more questions?

Get in touch with us quickly and easily.
We are happy to help!

Do you still have questions?

Feel free to contact us anytime using our contact form or visit our FAQ page.

Statista Content & Design

Need infographics, animated videos, presentations, data research or social media charts?

More Information