Learning More About How Age Impacts Texting While Driving
Are motorists of some ages more likely to engage in the dangerous behavior of texting while driving while they are behind the wheel? Data from the CDC suggests that teens in particular, and other motorists in younger age groups, may be more likely to cause a distracted driving collision than others. The following are some key statistics about age and texting while driving from the CDC:
- About 25 percent of motorists who are involved in deadly distracted driving crashes, including those caused by texting while driving, are between the ages of 20-29;
- Data suggests that teen drivers between the ages of 15 and 19 are “more likely to be distracted than drivers aged 20 and older,” and are more likely to engage in texting while driving when they are supposed to be paying attention to the road;
- Texting while driving is more common among older teen drivers than younger teen drivers, with motorists aged 17-19 accounting for significantly more instances of texting while driving than motorists aged 15-16 who may have learner’s permits or driver’s licenses;
- Drivers between the ages of 15-19 account for a relatively low percentage of all motorists on the road but account for about 8 percent of all distracted driving fatalities (which is disproportionate to the percentage of drivers in that age group;
- Drivers aged 20-29 account for the second-highest rate of deadly distracted driving fatalities, followed by drivers aged 30-49, and then by motorists aged 50-69; and
- Nearly 40 percent of high school students report that they texted or emailed while driving at least once in the last 30 days.
The National Safety Council (NSC) also suggests that teen drivers are much more likely to engage in texting while driving in rural areas as opposed to suburban or urban areas. In total, the NSC reports that teen drivers under the age of 18 are involved in approximately 900,000 collisions annually, and many of those result from distracted driving behaviors, including texting.
