DISTRACTED DRIVING
RESEARCH

The following is a limited bibliography of research reports concerning distracted driving. It is meant to provide a brief introduction to the current state of research on the issue. The U.S. Department of Transportation does not endorse the research listed here, nor does non-DOT research represent the official position of DOT, its agencies, or its employees.

On December 8, 2011, NHTSA released a new measure of fatalities related to distracted driving, called “distraction-affected crashes.” NHTSA’s adoption of the new “distraction-affected crash” measure for the 2010 FARS data is one step in a continuing effort to focus on driver distraction and separate it from other issues. The new measure is designed to focus more narrowly on crashes in which a driver was most likely to have been distracted. NHTSA will continue to look for improved data sources.

Overview

  • "Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving," NHTSA 2012
    This policy document from NHTSA contains distracted driving statistics and outlines concrete steps stakeholders around the country can take to reduce the risk posed by distracted driving.
  • "Distracted Driving 2010," NHTSA 2010
    This research note from NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis discusses distracted driving statistics from 2010. The analysis was based on a data set of known distraction affected deaths in motor vehicle crashes at the time of publication, which totaled 3,092 deaths in 2010. That statistic has since been updated showing that in 2010, 3,267 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted driver.

Data on Electronic Device Use While Driving

Prevention and Enforcement

Measurement Methodology and Meta-Studies

Distraction and Crash Risk