Victims of fatal distracted driving crashes

Objectives: Distracted driving is an increasingly deadly threat to road safety. This study documents trends in and characteristics of pedestrian, bicyclist, and other victim deaths caused by distracted drivers on US public roads.

Methods: We obtained data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System database from 2005 to 2010 on every crash that resulted in at least one fatality within 30 days occurring on public roads in the United States.

Results: The rate of fatalities per vehicle mile traveled (VMT) increased from 116 in 2005 to over 168 in 2010 for pedestrians and from 18.7 in 2005 to 24.6 in 2010 for bicyclists. In contrast, the fatality rate for motorist victims of non-distracted crashes decreased after 2006. Pedestrian victims of distracted driving crashes were disproportionately female, older than 65 years, and non-Hispanic White or other race/ethnicity, and were more likely to have a physical disability, die during the day, be struck by a distracted driver on a road shoulder, in a marked crosswalk, and in a non-metro location than were pedestrian victims of non-distracted driving crashes. Compared to bicycling victims of non-distracted crashes, bicycling victims of distracted crashes were disproportionately female and non-Hispanic White, and struck by a distracted driver in the morning and on a road shoulder.

Conclusions: Distracted drivers cause an increasing share of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities. Policies are needed to protect pedestrians and bicyclists as they cross intersections or travel on roadways.