About 20% to 30% of all traffic collisions result from distractions, encompassing both avoidable and unavoidable types

. More specifically, distracted driving is linked to approximately 80% of car accidents in some reports, though this figure often includes a broad range of distraction-related factors such as losing mental focus, cell phone use, eating, drinking, and other in-car activities

. Breaking it down further:

• Avoidable distractions include activities like texting, talking on the phone, eating, grooming, and adjusting controls, which significantly increase crash risk. For example, texting while driving makes a driver 23 times more likely to crash

• Unavoidable distractions might include sudden external events or unexpected occurrences that divert attention momentarily.

Studies show that:

• Distracted driving accounts for about 25% of car accident deaths

• Inattentiveness behind the wheel is involved in about 80% of collisions and 65% of near-crashes

• One in ten road traffic accidents is caused primarily by driver distraction

• Around 14% of all reported motor vehicle collisions involve distracted drivers, with distracted driving responsible for 15% of injury crashes and 8% of fatal crashes

In summary, distractions-both avoidable and unavoidable-contribute to roughly one-fifth to one-third of all collisions, with avoidable distractions like phone use and in-car activities being major contributors to these statistics