New data shows that distracted driving is on the rise and is no longer limited to quick calls or text messages. Drivers watch videos, scroll through TikTok, and even follow live streams while behind the wheel.
From correspondence to live stream
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US paint a grim picture. In 2023, distracted driving was linked to 3,275 deaths and more than 300,000 injuries.
Joel Feldmanwho lectures students across the US about the dangers of distracted driving, hears similar confessions. Younger drivers, he says, openly admit to sneaking glances at videos while driving. The trend has shifted from “text and drive” to “use an app and drive,” and even two-thirds of teenagers admit to using various apps while driving.
“I talk to kids and they’ll say they take a quick look at a TikTok video while they’re driving. I didn’t hear that five years ago. That topic comes up whether I’m teaching in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado or Maryland, and those are just places I’ve visited in the last few weeks,” Feldman said.
Shocking numbers and real crashes
NHTSA’s research also shows that younger drivers, especially those between the ages of 15 and 20, account for the largest share of fatal crashes involving distraction, with elevated rates continuing into their early twenties.
We are already seeing accidents caused by video recording while driving. Late last year, popular streamers MeltIsLIVE and Jau Shaun live-streamed their BMW M3 and Dodge Charger chases through the streets of Atlanta. A month earlier, a 43-year-old woman was live-streaming on TikTok when she allegedly hit and killed a pedestrian. In California, another driver crashed into a parked police vehicle while watching YouTube, narrowly missing a police officer standing nearby.
Laws are trotting behind technology
In the US, 49 states, along with Washington, DC, already ban texting while driving, and 33 states ban cell phone use entirely. That should cover most interference, but it doesn’t. Drivers now turn to built-in infotainment screens, often unlocked with unofficial add-ons, to watch videos behind the wheel.
Legislators are slowly catching up with trends. Some states are exploring rules that would specifically ban streaming or live broadcasting from the driver’s seat, an area not clearly covered by current laws. In response to the growing problem, NHTSA is running a campaign called “Put Your Phone Down or Pay Up” to increase awareness and punishment.
The increased reliance on touchscreens itself is contributing to more accidents. Experts call it the “triple threat” because it involves visual (eyes off the road), manual (hands off the wheel) and cognitive (mind focused on content) distraction. Studies have shown that using these screens can negatively affect a driver’s reaction time more than alcohol or cannabis, prompting calls for stronger action against distracted driving.