INDIANA – A new study by Bader Scott reveals that the youngest and oldest drivers on U.S. roads have the highest rates of distraction in fatal crashes.
The research, which analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System from 2020 to 2023, shows that drivers under 16 years old and those 65 and older are the most likely to be distracted when a deadly collision occurs.
Key Findings by Age Group
The study ranked age groups by their percentage of distracted drivers in fatal crashes:
- Under 16: This group had the highest distraction rate at 52.19%. Of the 845 drivers in this age group involved in fatal crashes, 441 were found to be distracted.
- 65 and Older: Senior drivers ranked second with a distraction rate of 51.93%. This is particularly concerning as this group accounted for 38,939 total drivers in fatal crashes, the second-highest number overall.
- 21-24: Young adults in this age bracket were third, with 51.05% of drivers distracted during fatal crashes.
- 16-20: Teen drivers placed fourth, with a distraction rate of 50.82%.
- 25-34: This group had a distraction rate of 49.67%.
- 45-64 age group, which had the highest total number of fatal crash involvements (126,797), had a distraction rate of 49.34%.
- 35-44: This group had the lowest distraction rate at 49.26%.
The data shows that roughly half of all drivers involved in fatal crashes across every age group were distracted. According to Seth Bader, a spokesperson for Bader Scott, this indicates a widespread problem affecting Americans of all ages.
“The study’s results show concerning levels of distraction across all age groups, with the difference between the highest and lowest distraction rates being less than three percentage points,” Bader said. He added that while younger drivers may lack the experience to handle distractions, older drivers might be more susceptible to the effects of newer in-car technology or slower reaction times. The study highlights that in 2023 alone, 3,275 people were killed by distracted driving, a clear indication of its deadly impact on our roads.
Methodology:
Data on fatal crashes was sourced from https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars. The data for the years 2020-2023 were used. Data were retrieved for each instance of a driver recorded as ‘distracted’. For each instance, the state where the accident occurred and the driver’s age were extracted. The number of distracted drivers in each state, categorized by distinct age groups, was calculated and combined with the total number of drivers recorded to determine the percentage of distracted drivers per age group. For each state, the age group with the highest rate of distracted drivers was extracted. Separately, the age groups are ranked from the highest percentage of distracted drivers to the lowest.
Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration –https://www.nhtsa.gov/book/countermeasures-that-work/young-drivers
