Distracted Driving is About More than Phones

Every day in the United States, families lose loved ones in crashes caused by distracted driving. In 2024 alone, over 3,000 people were killed in distraction-affected crashes — about nine lives lost every single day.

These crashes are preventable, yet they continue to happen on roads across the country. This April during Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the National Safety Council urges drivers, policymakers and communities to take action to address this crisis.

Distraction and Risk Have Evolved

Understanding how distraction is changing is essential to preventing crashes. While the percentage of drivers using handheld phones has dropped significantly since 2014, the number of drivers interacting with electronic devices has increased by 36% during that same time.

Many of today’s vehicles include large infotainment screens, navigation systems and connected technologies designed to improve the driving experience. But these features can also encourage drivers to multitask — adjusting playlists, responding to messages through voice assistants and checking directions.

Each of these tasks can take a driver’s eyes, hands or mind off the road. Even a moment of inattention can have deadly consequences.

The Myth of Multitasking

Many drivers believe they can safely split their attention between driving and other tasks. Research shows human brains don’t truly multitask; instead, they rapidly switch focus between activities. Behind the wheel, that split attention can slow reaction time, reduce awareness and increase the likelihood of mistakes.

Just because your eyes are on the road doesn’t mean you can’t be distracted. Distractions can be visual, auditory, manual or cognitive – and they all impact your ability to drive safely. Whether it’s glancing at navigation screens, adjusting climate controls or responding to notifications, each distraction adds risk. When drivers lose focus, it’s often pedestrians, bicyclists and other vulnerable road users who face the greatest danger.

A Systems Approach to Preventing Distraction-related Crashes

Reducing distracted driving requires designing safer systems that anticipate human error and prevent mistakes from becoming tragedies.

Through the Road to Zero Coalition, NSC partners with hundreds of government, industry and advocacy groups to eliminate U.S. roadway deaths. Central to this effort is promoting the Safe Systems Approach, which focuses on:

● Safer road users: Encouraging drivers to stay attentive and distraction-free
● Safer vehicles: Designing vehicles that limit risky interactions while driving
● Safer speeds: Lower speeds that reduce crash severity when mistakes occur
● Safer roads: Infrastructure that helps prevent crashes by design and protects vulnerable road users
● Post-crash care: Rapid response systems that improve survival after a crash

If you missed Road to Zero’s February Frontiers of Technology webinar with MIT’s Dr. Bryan Reimer, discussing his work on driver attention measurement and support tools, you can view the recording here.

What Drivers Can Do Today

While systemic improvements are essential, individual choices still matter when getting behind the wheel. Drivers can reduce risk by taking simple steps:

● Put phones on Do Not Disturb before driving
● Program navigation before starting the trip
● Avoid interacting with in-vehicle screens while driving
● Pull over safely if something requires attention

Driving demands our full attention. No message, notification or task is worth a life.

During Distracted Driving Awareness Month, NSC encourages everyone to take a moment to rethink their habits behind the wheel and commit to distraction-free driving. Learn more at nsc.org/justdrive.

Together, we can move closer to a future where every trip ends safely.