Combating Distracted Driving: Insights from the 2024 US Road Risk Report 

Distracted driving remains one of the most critical safety challenges on American roads, but new data offers both warnings and hope. The CMT US Road Risk Report   – analyzing over a billion miles of driving – reveals that while some distraction behaviors have improved since their 2022 peak, other risky habits are rebounding. Key findings include a rise in hard braking events and phone use in 2024, a strong link between recent phone interaction and crashes, and persistent dangers during certain times (like weekends and high-speed travel). These insights underscore the importance of targeted driver training and education. Safety managers and fleet operators can leverage this data to coach drivers and prevent crashes before they happen. 

Rising Risks in 2024: Hard Braking and Phone Use Upticks 

Several concerning trends emerged in 2024, pointing to areas where drivers are backsliding into risky behaviors: 

• Hard Braking on the Rise: After three years of steady improvement, sudden braking events ticked up in 2024. Drivers experienced 3.04 hard braking events per 100 miles, up from 2.97 in 2023 – a roughly 2.4% increase. Hard braking is often a symptom of inattention; it’s the last-second jolt when a driver looks up from a distraction (like a phone) or tailgates and must slam the brakes to avoid a collision. An increase in hard braking suggests more frequent close calls on the road. 

• More Handheld Phone Use: Despite broad awareness campaigns, handheld phone calls edged up in 2024. The average time drivers spent on handheld calls rose to 28 seconds per hour, from 27s in 2023. This marks the second consecutive year of growth in handheld calling time (though it remains below pre-pandemic 2020 levels). Any uptick is worrisome – drivers fumble with phones instead of focusing on the road, increasing crash odds. In fact, CMT data shows the most frequent phone users (top 10%) are 240% more likely to crash than those who rarely pick up their phone. 

• High Crash Risk Right After Phone Use: Perhaps the most alarming statistic is how often distraction immediately precedes crashes. In a study cited by the report, CMT found that 34% of crashes involved the driver being distracted by their phone in the minute before the crash (Distracted Driving Fell 4.5% in 2023, Preventing An Estimated 55,000 Crashes and 250 Fatalities – Cambridge Mobile Telematics). In other words, over one-third of crashes happen shortly after a driver interacts with their phone. This underscores that taking your eyes off the road “for just a moment” can have instant, severe consequences. The physics are unforgiving: if you’re looking at a screen, you’re not looking at the stopped traffic or curve ahead. 

These rising risks highlight why complacency is dangerous. Even as technology and policies attempt to curb distracted driving, driver behavior can regress. Safety leaders must stay vigilant and address these issues head-on through robust training and enforcement of safe-driving practices. 

Encouraging Improvements Since 2022: Turning the Tide on Distraction 

It’s not all bad news. The 6th Edition Road Risk Report also delivers some encouraging findings – evidence that collective efforts (stricter laws, insurance incentives, education) are making a dent in the distracted driving problem: 

• Screen Interaction Down: After peaking during the pandemic, drivers’ screen time behind the wheel is finally trending lower. In 2022, drivers spent an average of 134 seconds per hour actively interacting with their phone screens (texting, tapping apps, etc.). By 2024 that dropped to 116 seconds per hour – a 13.4% decrease from the 2022 peak. Notably, 2024’s screen interaction was 8.6% lower than 2023 alone, marking a significant year-over-year improvement. This reversal suggests that awareness and enforcement efforts are helping more drivers put down the phone. 

• Less Phone Handling (Overall): Similarly, phone motion (the phone being moved/handled while driving) declined for the first time in four years. The average “phone motion time” per hour of driving fell by 11.3% in 2024 (versus 2023) and is now over 22% below its 2022 high. In short, drivers are spending less time actively handling their phones on the road than they were a couple of years ago. This is a positive trend, since phone motion indicates distraction that can take eyes and mind off driving. 

• Safety Impact – Crashes Averted: These improvements are more than just numbers – they translate to lives saved. CMT estimates that the 8.6% drop in screen-related distraction from 2023 to 2024 prevented over 105,000 crashes in 2024 (avoiding about 59,000 injuries and nearly 480 deaths). In economic terms, reducing crashes and injuries saved an estimated $4.2 billion in 2024. This illustrates a powerful point for fleet operators: even modest behavior changes can yield huge safety benefits at scale. Fewer distracted driving incidents mean fewer bent fenders, hospital visits, and tragic losses. 

While these positive trends are heartening – proof that distraction is not an insurmountable problem – they are only a start. The report notes that despite the progress, U.S. drivers’ phone use remains higher than it was pre-pandemic. In other words, we’ve improved, but there’s plenty of room to get safer. The mission now is to build on these gains. 

Persistent Dangers: Weekends, High Speeds, and Seasonal Spikes 

The data also shines a light on persistent risk factors that require special attention. These are situations or times where distracted driving is still prevalent or even surging: 

• Weekend Driving Woes: Weekends continue to pose a threat. The report shows that distracted driving via phone use tends to worsen on Saturdays and Sundays. In 2023, for example, screen interaction was lowest on Tuesday (around 129 seconds/hour) but climbed each day of the week – peaking at 140 seconds/hour on Sunday (Distracted driving starting to go down – Land Line). Drivers appear to use their phones more on weekends (perhaps to coordinate plans or out of leisure), making weekend driving potentially more dangerous. Notably, 2024 data also saw the gap between weekday and weekend risk narrowing, as weekend hard braking rates (about 2.78 per 100 miles) crept closer to weekday levels (3.15). The traditional notion that weekdays are riskier (due to rush-hour traffic) may be fading – weekend drivers are nearly as likely to engage in sudden, risky maneuvers, likely due to distraction or impairment. 

• High-Speed Phone Use: One especially perilous form of distraction is using a phone at highway velocities. Alarmingly, the share of phone motion events occurring above 50 mph has continued to climb. In 2024, roughly one-third of phone motion while driving happened at these high speeds (around 33% of instances). This means many drivers who do handle their phones are doing so on freeways – a recipe for high-severity crashes. Any distraction at 70 mph is far deadlier than at 30 mph. The data’s message to fleet operators: watch for phone use during high-speed travel – it’s a stubborn risk that hasn’t improved and demands intervention. 

• Seasonal Spikes in Risk: Distracted driving isn’t constant throughout the year; it surges during particular seasons. Historically, summer and fall see the highest distraction levels, coinciding with more road travel and a post-pandemic spike in risky behavior. In 2024, even as overall phone use declined, seasonal patterns held – for instance, the fall of 2024 saw about an 8% increase in hard braking events compared to the summer months. Similarly, past summers and autumns recorded peak phone use and screen interaction durations. These seasonal spikes mean that safety managers should be especially vigilant during mid-year and holiday travel periods. Drivers may let their guard down or engage in more distractions during long summer road trips, vacations, or end-of-year holidays, leading to jumps in dangerous behavior. 

In sum, certain risky habits remain entrenched or emerge at specific times, even as overall trends improve. Knowing when and where risk is highest allows safety professionals to target their efforts – whether it’s extra messaging before holiday weekends, or stricter monitoring of highway phone use. 

 

Turning Data into Action: Training and Education for Safer Driving 

For safety managers and fleet operators, the real value of the Road Risk Report is in guiding proactive interventions. Data alone doesn’t save lives – targeted training, coaching, and education do. Here’s how fleets can respond to these findings: 

1.  Reinforce the Dangers of Distraction: Use these stark statistics in safety meetings and training modules. For example, make sure drivers know that one in three crashes occurs within a minute of phone use . 

   Showing the real consequences (34% of crashes linked to recent phone distraction) can grab attention. Emphasize that even a quick glance at a text at highway speed can be fatal – a vehicle covers the length of a football field in just a few seconds at 55-70 mph. By highlighting how seemingly minor distractions lead to major crashes, you can drive home the importance of keeping phones down. 

2. Leverage Telematics for Coaching: Many fleets employ telematics or in-cab monitoring systems. Use these tools to identify risky patterns like frequent hard braking, rapid accelerations, or phone handling. A hard braking event is often the “smoking gun” of distraction or following too closely – essentially a near-miss. Rather than just flagging these events, turn them into coaching opportunities. Sit down with drivers one-on-one to review what happened: Was the driver on the phone or not looking far enough ahead? Is the driver habitually tailgating? Targeted coaching can address the root cause – for instance, teaching defensive driving techniques to maintain safe following distances, or strategies to avoid reaching for the phone while moving. Over time, coaching can reduce the frequency of these high-risk behaviors. 
3. Implement Strict Phone Policies (Hands-Free Isn’t Risk-Free): Given the uptick in handheld call time in 2024, fleets should review their mobile device policies. A zero-tolerance policy for handheld phone use while driving (with clear consequences) is a must. Many companies install apps or systems that disable texting and calling when the vehicle is in motion. Even hands-free use should be minimized; remind drivers that cognitive distraction from a phone conversation can still impair reaction time. Encourage drivers to take scheduled breaks to return calls or messages safely when parked. The slight inconvenience is worth it to prevent a crash. 
4.  Focus on High-Risk Times and Groups: Tailor your safety programs around the insights of when drivers are most vulnerable. For example, if weekend trips show higher phone use, consider sending a reminder on Friday about safe driving over the weekend, or incorporate weekend driving scenarios in training. Likewise, highlight seasonal risks – before summer road trip season or fall’s busy traffic, run refresher courses on distraction and defensive driving. If you notice younger or less experienced drivers in your fleet tend to have more phone-related incidents, provide them with extra mentoring and perhaps pair them with a safety “buddy.” The goal is to be anticipatory: deliver the right training before the risk spikes. 
5. Cultivate a Safety-First Culture: Education isn’t a one-time thing – it’s an ongoing culture. Share positive milestones, such as “Our fleet’s phone distraction dropped by 10% this quarter” or “X number of potential crashes were avoided.” This reinforces that efforts are paying off and motivates drivers to stay committed. Some fleets introduce gamification or rewards for safe driving scores (for example, no distraction events for a month earns recognition or a small bonus). The report’s finding that tens of thousands of crashes were prevented by reducing distraction can be inspiring – it shows drivers that every alert they ignore or call they skip while driving contributes to real-world safety gains. Celebrate those wins and continuously update training with fresh data and testimonials to keep drivers engaged. 

Conclusion: From Insight to Action 

The 2024 CMT US Road Risk Report makes one thing clear: distracted driving is a battle we can win – but only if we remain vigilant. The data highlights where to focus our efforts: address the rebound in risky behaviors like hard braking and phone use, double-down on reducing phone distraction (especially at high speeds), and pay special attention to weekends and seasonal danger periods. Crucially, the report’s success stories show that improvements in driver behavior are possible – and they have a massive payoff in crashes averted and lives saved. 

For safety managers and fleet operators, the task now is to turn these insights into impactful programs. By investing in ongoing driver training, personalized coaching, and a culture that prizes attentive driving, fleets can continue to push distracted driving metrics down.