Texting and Driving Statistics [2025]

Sending or reading a text message takes your attention away from driving for up to five seconds, according to  the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Sometimes, those few seconds can make the difference between life and death. 

While the incidence of texting and driving is declining, it’s still a serious concern in California – and nationwide. Here we take a look at some texting and driving statistics in both the United States and California.

What Is Texting and Driving?

Texting while behind the wheel is one of the most common forms of distracted driving. At its core, it’s the act of typing, sending, or reading text messages on a mobile phone.

By extension, it may also include other activities conducted on smartphones, such as:

• Talking on the phone
• Exchanging messages on WhatsApp
• Setting up Waze or other mobile GPS systems
• Sharing content on social media
• Playing mobile games
• Browsing the web
• Accessing an app

According to the NHTSA, distracted driving caused 3,308 deaths in 2022 and over 32,000 deaths between 2013 and 2022. In 2023, preliminary data indicates that 3,275 fatalities were due to distracted driving. 

While texting and driving isn’t the only form of distracted driving, it is by far the most dangerous distraction. Not only does it require cognitive effort, but it also involves taking your eyes off the road and your hand(s) off the wheel.

Texting and Driving Statistics You Should Know

Injuries and Deaths

The NHTSA has reported that in 2023, there were 3,275 fatalities and nearly 325,000 injuries resulting from crashes involving distracted drivers. This underscores the ongoing impact of distracted driving on road safety. According to 2023 NHTSA data, cell phone use was a factor in:

• 12% of all fatal distracted driving accidents
• 10% of all injury crashes that involved a distracted driver
• 8% of all police-reported distracted driving crashes
• 10% of all distracted driving crashes

Drivers are not the only ones at risk for texting and driving accidents. The NHTSA reports that in 2022, distracted driving resulted in 681 passenger deaths, 498 pedestrian deaths, and 87 bicyclist deaths nationwide. 

You can learn more about the rules around pedestrian safety – and the consequences for breaking those rules – in California in CVC 21950 Failure to Yield to a Pedestrian.

Injuries and Deaths by California County

According to SafeTREC, Los Angeles County ranks No.1 in California in terms of traffic fatalities and serious injuries due to distracted driving. Next is San Bernardino County, with an equal number of fatal crashes but lower rates of serious injuries. Let’s break it down.

SafeTREC also reports that 82% of all fatal crashes in California occurred in urban areas, and only 18% took place on rural roads. The peak period was between 3p.m. and 6p.m., especially on Saturdays. 

Texting and Driving Demographics

About 47% of drivers admit to texting and driving nationwide. In California, 30.7% of drivers said they used a cellphone in a non-hands-free manner in the last 30 days.

In terms of handheld device use, the most recent data we have comes from a 2022 NHTSA report. It found the following:

We also know that:

• Women are more likely to use their cell phones while driving. This habit is most common among drivers aged 16 to 24 and those traveling without passengers.
• Gen Z and Millennials are most likely to admit to texting and driving – 55% say they have done it. By comparison, only 43% of Gen Xers and 33% of Baby Boomers said they use their phones to send or read messages while driving. 55% of Gen Zers and Millennials admitted to texting while driving. 
• Cell phone use while driving is more common among younger people – those ages 15-20 and 21-24 do it at significantly higher rates than other age groups.
• 27% of people say they find texting while driving acceptable. More than 20% admitted to doing it themselves.

What Makes Texting and Driving So Dangerous?

Cell phone use while driving increases the risk of a collision by 400%. On a similar note, drivers who send or read text messages while on the road are 23 times more likely to have an accident.

About 94% of crashes are the drivers’ fault, according to a 2015 NHTSA study. In 41% of cases, the culprit is recognition error, which occurs when a distracted driver fails to react on time. Therefore, distractions cause more crashes than drunk or aggressive driving. In fact, according to one study, texting while driving affects brake reaction time, speed control, and the ability to keep a safe following distance to a greater extent than drunk driving.

Additionally, regaining your focus after the distraction takes at least 30 seconds. This is called the “hangover effect,” and it can happen even if you only text while sitting at a stop sign or red light.

Laws Against Texting and Driving

Texting behind the wheel is illegal in 49 states, D.C., and four U.S. territories.  In addition, 31 states, Washington, D.C., and four U.S. territories have laws that ban handheld cell phone use while driving.

No state has completely banned the use of mobile phones while driving. The 31 states that don’t allow handheld cell phones still permit drivers to use hands-free devices. According to a large-scale study, this technology can prevent thousands of car crash injuries and deaths each year. 

Texting and Driving Laws in California

In California, CVC 23123(a) and 23123.5(a) restrict the use of cell phones to hands-free mode while on the road. This means no texting and driving unless you’re on private property or using your phone for work while operating an emergency vehicle. 

The rules are even stricter for teenagers. Per CVC 23124(b), drivers under 18 may not use their mobile phones at all (hands-free or not) while behind the wheel. 

Unfortunately, these laws don’t stop drivers from texting in traffic. According to the 2023 California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) Annual Report, the number of drivers using handheld mobile phones for calling or texting increased from 1.6% in 2020 to 3.6% in 2023. 

While overall convictions for cell phone use while driving have dropped over the years, many drivers don’t take the law seriously. Per the California OTS report, more than one-third of drivers said they used a handheld device “regularly” or “sometimes” in the past 30 days. Nearly 25% believed it was “very unlikely” to receive a ticket for violating California’s cell laws. 

Legal Consequences of Texting and Driving

Aside from an increased risk of accidents resulting in injury or death, texting and driving can lead to hefty fines. Plus, you may end up with points on your license.

Fines can start as low as $20, but the average is $500 or more for a texting and driving ticket. Some states have gone even further, classifying it as a serious offense.

For example, in Alaska, texting and driving is a misdemeanor that can lead to one year of jail time and a fine of up to $10,000. 

If you injure someone while texting and driving, the repercussions will be more severe. Depending on the state, this can lead to felony charges, license suspension, heavy fines, or some combination thereof.

What to Do If You’re Caught Texting and Driving in California

A cell phone ticket in California is $20 for a first offense but can exceed $162 after adding penalty assessments. If you get caught again, you’ll pay a $50 base fee plus penalty assessments of at least $235, and get a point added to your license. Insurance companies can see these points and raise your insurance premiums. 

So, what should you do if you receive a cell phone ticket? The answer depends on your circumstances. Generally, you have three options: 

• Pay the Fine: Follow the instructions on your ticket to pay the fine. Alternatively, visit the California Courts website to see which payment options are available in the jurisdiction where you were ticketed. 
• Go to Traffic School: Texting while driving is a one-point violation, but only if you offend twice within 36 months. If you do, you may be eligible for traffic school. If you go this route, you must plead guilty, pay your ticket, and get the court’s approval to complete a traffic school course. Once the course is over, the court will mask the point associated with your ticket, preventing insurance companies from raising your premiums. 
• Contest the Ticket: It may be worth fighting the ticket in court if you can prove you were not texting and driving. Just make sure you have strong evidence, such as eyewitness testimony and phone records. You may also request a trial by written declaration so you don’t have to appear in front of a judge. 

Read: Should I Go to Traffic School?

Why Traffic School Might Be Your Best Option 

In California, traffic school is cheaper and more convenient than fighting a cell phone ticket in court. For example, our online course costs only $27.99. By comparison, attorney fees can run into hundreds of dollars. (See How Much Does a Traffic Lawyer Cost? to learn more.)

Once enrolled, you must complete an eight-hour course and pass a final exam. If you study online, you can take the course at your own pace and finish in just two or three hours. When you’re done, the point you received for texting and driving will be hidden from insurance providers and other third parties. 

If you register with Best Online Traffic School, you can take the course for free and pay only after you pass. Our flat fee covers your study materials plus extra perks like:

✅ Unlimited retake
✅ Open-book final exam
✅ English, Chinese, and Spanish audio read-along
✅ Instant electronic certificate of completion
✅ Same-day submission to the court and DMV
✅ 24/7 live chat support

We’re licensed by the California DMV, and our self-paced traffic safety course is accepted by state courts.

Texting while driving is not OK, but mistakes can happen. Start traffic school for FREE to keep points off your record and prevent insurance rate increases.