Despite public awareness campaigns and stricter laws, distracted driving continues to cause an alarming number of fatal accidents, according to a recent analysis from DeMayo Law Offices.

Using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the study examined fatality rates involving distracted drivers per 100,000 people for each state from 2010 to 2022. While numbers varied quite a bit from state to state, every state is still experiencing deaths due to distracted driving.

Numbers have remained high even in states that have implemented hands-free laws or increased penalties.

“The significant variation in fatality rates across states suggests we need to rethink our approach to this persistent problem,” said the law firm in a statement. “While awareness is important, we may need to explore more innovative strategies, such as leveraging technology to prevent phone use while driving or implementing more stringent enforcement measures.”

Some key regional differences could help provide clues as to what works and what doesn’t. The Mountain West has the highest average fatality rate at 1.79 per 100,000 people per year, while the Northeast has the lowest at 0.65. This could mean the Northeast has found more effective strategies to combat distracted driving that other regions could borrow.

The slideshow above highlights the 10 states with the most yearly distracted driving accidents.

Distracted driving is one of the largest areas of insurance losses over the last five years, causing many auto insurers to raise their rates in response. Data compiled by SambaSafety shows the cost of auto insurance has gone up 45.8% since December 2021, due in part to distracted driving costs.

See also:

• Where are the best drivers in the U.S.?
• Vehicles most likely to be totaled in 2023
• Forbes Advisor: U.S. states with the worst drivers in 2024