Distracted Driving Facts

From 2016–2020, 407 people died in Missouri crashes involving
a distracted driver.3 Cell phone-related crashes have increased in Missouri by 30 percent in the last five years, with nearly 2,500 crashes alone in 2019. However, these crashes are likely underestimated because drivers don’t always admit to phone usage. In a May 2021 Missouri Capitol hearing, Lt. Collin Stosberg of the Missouri State Highway Patrol indicated that distracted driving crashes could be tenfold what they are reported to be. “Inattention is the leading cause of crashes in Missouri,” he testified. “Distraction is an epidemic.”