Texting and Driving Statistics: The Truth Behind Distracted Driving

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released texting and driving statistics for 2015 and it seems like people are using their phones less and less, but one distracted driving statistic will surprise you. The Arrive Alive Tour teaches you the dangers of texting while driving or drinking while driving, but the stats show us a different angle on things.

According to the results from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), we had some good and bad news among the statistics.

The Good News

Like most stories, we will start with the good news. The percentage of drivers using their handheld device has gone down from 4.3 percent in 2014 to 3.8 percent in 2015. This stats means the number of people actually holding their phones up to their ears is down, so this can not be as good as it seems. With most newer cars having the technology to sync your phone to your radio, less people holding the phone, but still on the phone.

On that note, it appears more people are using visible headsets to talk on the phone. There was an increase from 0.4 percent in 2014 to 0.6 percent in 2015. Both hands on wheel, which is a good thing, but still distracted driving by talking on the phone.

Texting and Driving Statistics - Arrive Alive Tour
Photo Source: NHTSA

The Bad News

Texting and driving remains a problem, as the percentage stayed the same between 2014 and 2015, at 2.2 percent. No one is texting less while driving, even though the number of fatalities continues to rise. No shocker here, but younger people were seen manipulating their phones more than the older generations. Of the group, 4.9 percent of 16 to 24 year olds were seen manipulating their cell phone. It goes down to 2.1 percent for 25 to 69 year olds and all the way down to 0.5 percent for anyone over 70 years old. 

Here is the shocker though: the number of 70+ year olds is on the rise! It may have been 0.5 percent in 2015, but it was only 0.1 percent in 2014. That is a big jump, so more and more people are texting and driving and it needs to be addressed.

Bring the Arrive Alive Tour to your area. For more information or details on the drinking and texting and driving simulator program, contact us here!

Photo Source: HuffPost