INDIANA – New research has revealed the biggest distractions to drivers that lead to traffic incidents, with external distractions pulling drivers’ attention away from the road the most.
The study by personal injury attorneys at Fasig Brooks analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to examine the number of traffic incidents involving a distracted driver, identifying the most common distracting factors. The figures analyzed are from 2018-2022, ranking the most frequent distractions over the five years.
The most common distraction, accounting for 1,208 driving incidents recorded as involving a distracted driver, is being ‘distracted by an outside person, object, or event.’ This may include watching a nearby gathering of pedestrians while navigating through traffic or being distracted by looking for a parking space instead of looking at the road and cars ahead.
Second on the list are distractions ‘by other occupants or passengers of the vehicle. This distraction has been attributed to 677 reported distractions over the five years analyzed. For example, this may occur if a parent is distracted by trying to settle an argument between children in the back seat, momentarily diverting attention from the road, or friends having a loud conversation, minimizing the driver’s ability to concentrate.
Three cell phone-related distractions follow in the ranking, collectively accounting for 1,901 distracted driver incidents from 2018-2022. However, individually distracted due to the ‘other cellular phone related’ factor ranks third, distracted while ‘manipulating a cellular phone’ places fourth, and distracted while ‘while talking or listening to a cellular phone’ ranks fifth. These factors accounted for 671, 649, and 581 recorded incidents.
While drivers using their cell phones to text, make calls, or scroll playlists for music present prominent dangers on the road, ‘other cellular phone related’ distractions create one of the biggest risks of incidents, according to the findings. This may include scenarios such as Bluetooth connectivity issues between a phone and a car’s audio system, taking the driver’s attention away from the road, or watching a video on a phone screen.
Most Common Driver Distractions Contributing to Incidents:
| Rank | Types of Driver Distractions | Number of Reported Distractions |
| 1 | Distracted by Outside Person, Object or Event | 1,208 |
| 2 | By Other Occupant(s) | 677 |
| 3 | Other Cellular Phone Related | 671 |
| 4 | While Manipulating Cellular Phone | 649 |
| 5 | While Talking or Listening to Cellular Phone | 581 |
| 6 | While Using or Reaching for Device/Object Brought into Vehicle | 533 |
| 7 | While Using Other Component/Controls Integral to Vehicle | 299 |
| 8 | Eating or Drinking | 214 |
| 9 | Adjusting Audio or Climate Controls | 163 |
| 10 | Lost in Thought / Day Dreaming | 102 |
| 11 | By a Moving Object in Vehicle | 66 |
| 12 | Smoking Related | 38 |
Sixth on the list are incidents that occur ‘when using or reaching for a device or object brought into the vehicle’, which was a distracting factor leading to 533 recorded incidents over the analyzed period.
Seventh are distractions caused ‘while using other components or controls integral to the vehicle,’ which was recorded as contributing to 299 incidents, as identified by the study. An example of distraction may include adjusting the rearview mirror, which leads to the failure to notice slow traffic.
Drivers distracted by ‘eating and drinking’ is the eighth-most common distraction leading to a traffic incident, attributed to 214 incidents between 2018-2022. This is followed by ‘adjusting audio or climate controls’ in ninth, recorded as a distraction in 163 incidents.
Tenths of the incidents were attributed to drivers becoming ‘lost in thought or daydreaming,’ recorded in 102 incidents over the analyzed period. Distractions caused ‘by a moving object in the vehicle’ rank 11th, recorded to have led to driver distraction in 66 incidents.
The 12th and final common driver distraction leading to traffic incidents is ‘smoking-related’ distractions, identified as a recorded distraction in 38 incidents between 2018-2022.
An expert from Fasig Brooks commented, “As a driver, it’s your responsibility to stay focused and prioritize safety—for yourself, your passengers, and everyone else on the road. Even seconds of distraction can result in severe accidents. Watching passers-by, looking at your phone for a few moments, or turning to passengers may seem harmless, but they can lead to tragic consequences. Small actions—like putting your phone on silent or securing loose objects—can make a huge difference and even save lives or avoid long-lasting devastation.”
