Distracted driving adds to Indiana's traffic fatality rate
Distracted driving is a pervasive problem on American roadways, and Indiana is among the states cracking down in recent years.
Why it matters: Around 3,300 people died nationwide in crashes attributed to distracted driving in 2022, while another 289,000 were injured, according to the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data.
More than 62,000 crashes involved distracted cellphone use in 2022 alone, NHTSA says.
These stats likely underestimate the problem because crash data often relies on self-reporting, National Safety Council executive vice president of safety leadership and advocacy Mark Chung tells Axios.
Flashback: Indiana passed a law in 2020 prohibiting holding or using a mobile device while driving.
Violating Indiana's hands-free driving law is a Class C infraction, which carries a fine of up to $500.
Before that, Indiana had a law banning texting and driving, but the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals deemed it unenforceable in 2016 because of difficulty determining if a driver was texting.
Reality check: The 2020 legislation has not curbed rising fatal highway crashes. Indiana recorded 897 highways fatalities in 2020, 932 in 2021 and 949 in 2022.
By the numbers: According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI), police across the state issued 18,887 hands free citations in 2024, a new high and the third consecutive annual increase.
14,582 citations were issued in 2022, and 14,957 were issued in 2023.
Marion County leads the state in share of citations.
Threat level: The Indiana Department of Transportation says on average, people who text and drive take their attention away from the road for five seconds at a time.
At 55 mph, that is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field blindfolded.
Between the lines: Despite the panic over recent flying incidents, roadway fatalities dwarf air fatalities every year.
State of play: As part of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, Indiana law enforcement agencies spent two weeks in April participating in a traffic enforcement campaign focused on stopping distracted drivers and speeders.
State officials say distracted driving and speeding caused more than 17,000 crashes and 230 deaths across Indiana in 2024.
What they're saying:"Distracted driving isn't just risky, it's deadly," ICJI traffic safety director James Bryan said in a statement. "Taking your eyes off the road for even just a few seconds can change a life forever. No text, call or notification is worth the cost of a crash."
The big picture: U.S. traffic deaths per 100,000 people peaked in the 1930s and total deaths peaked in 1972, then gradually declined thanks to vehicle improvements, better infrastructure and public safety campaigns.
But the rate of crash deaths started rising again about a decade ago, spiking during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bottom line: "A lot of us feel like we can multitask, but we know from studies that there's no such thing as multitasking," Chung says. "The human brain does not allow for it."
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