Despite overwhelmingly praising their own driving skills, 1 out of every ten drivers admits to this behavior behind the wheel.

Apr 15, 2025 - 17:02

April is national distracted driving awareness month

As technology evolves to the point where it is virtually inseparable from us, our phones and other small-screen devices are becoming more and more of a distraction in our cars. Whether it is texting, messaging, checking social media timelines, watching videos, or a dozen other innocuous tasks, drivers seem to be doing everything but paying attention to what's in front of them.

Even taking your eyes off the road for just 5 seconds at 55 mph is like driving the length of an entire football field without seeing where you are going. However, according to new data gathered by Edelman on behalf of insurance giant Nationwide, drivers recognize that distracted driving is a problem, despite some admitting behaviors that they know are dangerous.

Half of drivers admit they do this behind the wheel

In a national survey of 1,000 American drivers and 400 commercial drivers, many drivers are confident in their driving abilities and say that everyone else's driving is the true problem. About 8 in 10 drivers rate their own driving as 'very good' or 'excellent,' despite only 15% of them giving others the same high marks.

At the same time, they overwhelmingly say that driving has become much more dangerous than a year ago. About 92% of drivers say that other people are driving more aggressively, driving faster, and looking at their phones, while 88% say that others are driving more recklessly.

However, many drivers admit to performing various other unsafe actions or tasks while driving. Over 1 out of 10 drivers who answered the survey reported that they sometimes or often use social media on their phones (15%), get themselves ready for work (13%), or even watch videos (13%) while behind the wheel and with other motorists around them.

Additionally, more than half of drivers admit to seemingly everyday driving actions that may seem innocuous at first. About 64% of surveyed drivers said that they sometimes or often adjust the radio or infotainment system, while 55% said they interact with navigation or GPS applications, and 50% of drivers said that they sometimes or often eat or drink while behind the wheel.

Drivers see distracted driving, even when they're not behind the wheel.

Drivers who were surveyed also commented on rideshare drivers; the kind behind the wheels of cars hired on apps like Uber or Lyft, and found them to be relatively safe. While about a quarter of the surveyed drivers said that they do not hire rideshare cars, only 15% reported that they feel unsafe in such vehicles.

However, their distracted behind-the-wheel habits are as bad as "normal" drivers'. Among those surveyed who use these services, 80% said they witnessed drivers fiddling with their navigation or GPS app, while 64% witnessed drivers adjust the radio or infotainment while driving. At the same time, 33% of surveyed said they saw rideshare drivers text while driving, while 18% read or responded to emails while the vehicle is in motion.

Additionally, Edelman and Nation found that 21% of those surveyed had given rideshare drivers a 1-star or worse, especially for primary reasons that include reckless or unsafe driving, such as speeding, rude or unprofessional behavior, like aggressive comments, and having a dirty or smelly car.

Final thoughts

The new data comes as distracted driving remains a problem that occurs way too often for comfort. According to the latest data from the NHTSA, about 8% of fatal crashes, an estimated 13% of crashes that result in injury, and an estimated 13% of all police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2023 were reported as distraction-affected.

In 2023, the NHTSA notes that there were 3,275 people killed and an estimated additional 324,819 people injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving distracted drivers. According to their statistics, 241 teens aged 15 to 19 were killed in distraction-affected traffic crashes in 2023, and 286 people were killed in traffic crashes in 2023 involving distracted teen drivers between the same age group.