Distracted Driving: What Causes It? Top 10 Reasons Here!

Distracted driving has become a major issue for all drivers. How much so? The government estimates that 25 percent of motor vehicle accidents in the United States are a result of the driver being distracted. That alone should tell you how big of an issue distracted driving is, but what is causing it?

It looks like a Pennsylvania-based insurance company took a look at the reasons causing these accidents. For these results, they examined data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, which surveys all American motor vehicle fatalities. From that, these are the Top 10 causes of distracted driving.

1. Smoking related– 1%. This may shock people, but only one in a hundred accidents is related to lighting a cigarette, smoking or putting it out.
2. Moving objects – 1%. When things are moving in your car, like a pets or a bee buzzing around inside your car. This leads you to take your eyes off the road and it is thought that this distractions is underreported.
3. Using devices/controls to operate the vehicle – 1%. Adjusting your mirror or seat belt leads to only 1% of the crashes, so a low number.
4. Adjusting audio or climate controls – 2%. We all do it, as it gets too hot or too cold in the vehicle, so we adjust the climate controls. Or we change the channel on the radio. All leads to 2% of crashes.
5. Eating or drinking – 2%. Honestly, I figured this cause of distracted driving would be much higher on the list.
6. Using or reaching for a device brought into the car – 2%. Those dang cell phones and being distracted by them. Shockingly, you can even be distracted by them by just reaching for them.
7. Other occupants – 5%. This is why teen drivers should never have all their friends in the car with them. They only serve as a distraction.
8. Outside person, object or event – 7%. Those friends in your car may be distracting, but it looks like people or things outside of your vehicle are even more distracting. Those gawkers on the highway looking at the accident on the other side of the road? Yeah, they are more likely to be distracted and crash themselves!
9. Cellphone use – 12%. Using our cellphones only makes it to the second spot on the list? We all know that cellphones play a huge part in distracted driving, but what is the leading cause?
10. Generally distracted or “lost in thought” – 62%. This one isn’t even close, as driver’s daydreaming or being lost in their own thoughts is the leading cause of accidents.

What do you think of this list for the leading causes of distracted driving?

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