Statistics

Here are some surprising statistics on distracted driving and its consequences:

47%

of Canadians admit that they have typed out or used the voice-memo feature to send a message while driving.

– CAA polling, 2021

5 secs

Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 90 km/h, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.

– National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

#1

Canadians say that texting while driving is one of the biggest threats to their personal safety on the road.

– CAA, 2021

1.6

Mobile phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes annually.

– National Safety Council, 2019

Distracted driving fatalities have surpassed those caused by impaired driving in some parts of Canada.

– Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 2019

3.6

The likelihood of a collision is increased 3.6 times when using an electronic device.

– Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2019

94%

of teen drivers acknowledge the dangers of texting and driving, but 35% of those admitted to still doing it.

– Think Insure, 2019

Higher risk of collision

Drivers engaged in the following distractions are more likely to be in a crash or near crash event compared with non-distracted drivers.

accident icon

8x

Drivers who drive distracted are more likely to be in a crash or near crash event compared with non-distracted drivers.

talking while driving icon

4x

Drivers are up to 4X more likely to get in an accident when talking on a phone while driving.

 

Benefits and Challenges of Automated Vehicles

One study showed that as people grow more comfortable with the technology features in their cars, they are more likely to engage in distracted driving. Learn more about the benefits and challenges of automated vehicles.

Read the study