Whether another driver collides with your vehicle while using their phone or they cause an accident because they took their hands off the wheel to eat food, distracted driving occurs for a wide variety of reasons. On top of reviewing risk factors associated with distracted driving, it is also important for drivers to go over data on distracted driving collisions in order to understand how widespread this problem is.

Tragically, distracted driving results in far too many injuries and deaths on an annual basis.

Statistics show the dangers of distracted driving

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic collisions involving distracted drivers left more than 324,000 people hurt during 2020, based on estimates. Additionally, these accidents claimed 3,142 lives during 2020. Distracted driving collisions represented 14% of all injury accidents and 8% of all deadly accidents in 2020.

Many pedestrians, bicyclists and other nonoccupants lose their lives in distracted driving accidents as well, and 587 died in distraction-related accidents during 2020.

Dangerous distractions can lead to serious accidents

Although many drivers lose focus because of their phones, many other types of distractions can cause a crash. For example, a driver could lose mental focus due to daydreaming, or become distracted while trying to light a cigarette or use an ashtray. Reaching for an object, eating, talking to people in the vehicle and manipulating vehicle controls (such as adjusting mirrors or headlamps) can also distract a driver.

If a driver’s inability to stay focused caused a distraction-related accident that left you with a serious injury, you have to safeguard your rights.