Distracted driving is on the rise again, with a rebound in recent years of many of the common distractions that had been consistently declining, pushing some risk factors to even surpass pre-pandemic figures, according to a study from insurance firm The Travelers Companies Inc.
The increase in dangerous behaviors has led to an increase in near misses (up 30% in 2021, and up 40% in 2024) and in crashes, due to distracted driving. The study cited National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data showing that U.S. traffic deaths jumped by 10.5% in 2021, after decades of steady declines. Total U.S. traffic fatalities for that year totaled 42,915 and reached their highest level since 2005.
To get more detail on the problem, Travelers commissioned Hart Research to do two surveys in January. The first was a national online survey of 1,000 consumers, ages 18 to 69, regarding their perceptions and behaviors related to distracted driving. And the second was a questionnaire tracking responses from 1,050 executives from businesses of all sizes.
The resulting “2024 Travelers Risk Index” showed that specific behaviors that are on the rise since before the pandemic include:
- Updating or checking social media: +13%.
- Typing a text or email: +10%.
- Talking on a cellphone (hands-free): +10%.
- Using a cellphone to record videos/take photos: +9%.
- Reading a text or email: +9%.
Of the executives surveyed, 85% – compared to 77% in 2023 – noted being concerned about employees’ use of mobile technology while driving. That increase comes as 68% of executives said they have instituted distracted driving policies, including workplace rules such as:
- Formally communicating about restrictions concerning phone calls, texts and/or emails while driving for work (84%).
- Requiring employees to sign an acknowledgment of the policy (66%).
- Disciplining employees who do not comply with company policy (77%).
- Prohibiting the use of handheld devices while driving (53%).
“Distraction is one of the leading causes of roadway fatalities, and it continues to have a devastating impact on individuals, families and communities,” Michael Klein, executive vice president and president of Personal Insurance at Travelers, said in a release. “Creating safer roadways requires action from each of us, and while the survey results show that people are concerned about distracted driving, they are still unfortunately taking dangerous risks.”
