Distracted driving (Atlanta, Ga.), 2022

Georgia Traffic Safety Facts
2022 Data

March 2024
Key Findings
53% of all motor vehicle traffic
crashes had at least one confirmed or suspected distracted driver.
30% of all serious injury crashes involved at least one driver confirmed or suspected of distraction.
According to the 2023 Georgia Distracted Driving Observational Survey, 19.6% of all drivers were observed to have some form of distraction (i.e., talking, texting, dialing, or eating).
76% of all distraction-related crashes involved at least one other vehicle besides the distracted driver.
Since the Hands-Free Law took effect, the number of distracted driving convictions processed by the Department of Driver Services continues to increase. Additionally, statewide and national studies show that distracted driving remains a growing traffic safety concern.
Drivers aged 15-to-24 years had the highest proportion of drivers involved in distractionrelated motor vehicle crashes and received more distracted driving citations after a crash compared to any other age group.
Governor's Office of Highway Safety
7 M.L.K. Jr Dr SE Suite #643 Atlanta, GA 30334
(404) 656-6996 www.gahighwaysafety.org

Distracted Driving

For the purposes of this fact sheet, a distraction-related crash is any crash in which a driver was reported as a confirmed distracted driver or identified as a suspected distracted driver.1

Driver distraction occurs when drivers divert their attention from the driving task to focus on some other activity. Often discussions regarding distracted driving center around cell phone use and texting; however, distracted driving also includes other distraction-related activities that are manual, visual, or cognitive. Activities, particularly cell phone use, may involve multiple types of distraction.

MANUAL
involves touching something within
the vehicle
Holding or touching a phone
Eating, drinking, or smoking
Moving things in the vehicle,
such as pets, insects, or objects
Changing the radio or climate
controls
Adjusting other vehicle devices
or controls
Grooming or personal hygiene

VISUAL
involves looking at something other than
the road
Looking at a phone
or infotainment display
Reading or typing a
text, email, or message
Looking at a
billboard
Looking at an event,
object, or person outside the vehicle

COGNITIVE
involves thinking about something that
occupies your mind
Conversations
Daydreaming
Thinking about an
argument
Worrying about
something or someone
Loud noises inside or
outside the vehicle, such as ringing mobile devices, loud music, or ambulance sirens

It is important to note that the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System (CODES) at the Georgia Department of Public Health may revise the definitions of confirmed or suspected distraction-related crashes. It is also important to acknowledge the inherent limitations in the data collection within the police crash reports for distractionrelated crashes and the resulting injuries and fatalities. As such, there are challenges and limitations in comparing and interpreting distraction-related crashes over time.
From a law enforcement perspective, confirming a distraction as a contributing factor in a crash is challenging. Most often, distraction is self-reported by the driver for non-injury, non-fatal, single-occupant crashes and is likely biased. Subsequently, distraction-related crashes are underreported.

1 See Data Considerations for more information on the suspected-distracted driving definition established by the GDOT and CODES

Page 1

2023 Georgia Distracted Driving Observational Study
The Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory University conducted a roadside observational survey of driver distraction--nearly 30,000 observations across 400 sites within 20 Georgia counties between May and August 2023. According to the 2023 Georgia Distracted Driving Observational Survey2, 19.6% of all drivers exhibited some form of distraction while operating a motor vehicle (i.e., talking, texting, dialing, or eating). This suggests that at any point in time or location on Georgia roadways during daytime hours, at least 1 out of 5 drivers may be distracted. Unlike seatbelt observations, drivers are not constantly distracted throughout their travel time-- each distracted driving observation is a snapshot of time and place. The following are key findings derived from the 2023 Georgia Distracted Driving Observational Survey.

According to the 2023 Georgia Distracted Driving Observational Survey, nearly 20% of all drivers were observed to have some form of distraction. In other words, at least 1 out of 5 drivers at any time and location on Georgia roadways may be distracted.

All Distractions
Distracted driving decreased with increasing
age and was higher for women (22.3%) than for men (17.7%).
Driver distraction was higher in Atlanta
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) (20.2%) than in non-Atlanta MSAs (19.3%) and rural areas (17.8%).
Distracted driving was higher on weekdays
(20.5%) than on weekends (13.1%). This was true for all types of distractions, including texting or dialing on hand-held devices.
Distractions Involving Hand-Held Devices
The proportion of drivers observed to be talking
or texting/dialing on a hand-held device in Georgia was higher than national observation data (6.8% in Georgia vs. 5.2% nationally3).
The rate of hand-held device distractions
(talking or texting/dialing) was greater for drivers who were unbelted (8.5%) than those who were belted (6.1%).

According to the World Health Organization...
"Drivers using mobile phones are approximately 4 times more likely to be involved in a crash than drivers not using
a mobile phone. [Using a phone while driving impacts the driver's reaction time (notably braking reaction time and reaction
to traffic signals). Using a phone also makes it difficult to maintain the correct lane and appropriate following distances.]
Hands-free phones are not much safer than hand-held phone sets. Texting considerably increases the risk of a crash."4

2 Rupp, Jonathan. 2023. "Statewide Rates of Driver Distraction: An Observational Survey of Driver Distraction in Georgia, 2023". The Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory (IPRCE), Emory University: Atlanta, Georgia. 3 National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2024, January). Driver electronic device use in 2022 (Traffic Safety Facts Research Note. Report No. DOT HS 813 531). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Available online: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813531 4 World Health Organization. (2023, December). Road traffic injuries: Fact sheet. WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries

Page 2

Distracted Drivers Involved in Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes

In 2022, 53% of motor vehicle traffic crashes fit the criteria of having at least one confirmed or suspected distracted driver. This finding aligns with naturalistic driving studies that used video cameras and sensors installed in vehicles to determine driver risk factors seconds before a crash. According to a multi-state naturalistic study, 51.9% of all crashes involved distracted, non-impaired drivers.5
Among the drivers involved in motor vehicle traffic crashes, 2% were confirmed to be distracted, 28% were suspected of distraction6, and 24% were undistracted drivers involved in a distraction-related crash--the other 47% of drivers were not involved in distraction-related crashes. Most distraction-related crashes involved other vehicles --
76% of all distraction-related crashes involved at least one other vehicle besides the distracted driver.
24% of all distraction-related crashes were single-vehicle crashes that only involved the distracted driver's vehicle.
Furthermore, among all single-vehicle crashes, 63% involved at least one confirmed or suspected distracted driver. Among all multivehicle crashes, 51% involved at least one confirmed or suspected distracted driver.

Table 1. Percent of All Traffic Crashes that

were Distraction-Related, 2022

Traffic Measure

2022

Crashes

Distraction-Related Crashes
Confirmed distraction-related crashes
Suspected distraction-related crashes

53% 4%
49%

Not distraction-related crashes

47%

Drivers
Drivers involved in distraction-related crashes

54%

Confirmed distracted driver

2%

Suspected distracted driver

28%

Undistracted driver (in another vehicle)
Drivers not involved in distractionrelated crashes

24% 47%

Source: CODES 2022

53%
of all motor vehicle traffic crashes had at least one
confirmed or suspected
distracted driver
in 2022.

Distraction-Related Traffic Fatalities and Serious Injuries
According to CODES preliminary data, 74 fatal crashes involved at least one confirmed distracted driver (4.4% of all fatal crashes) in 2022. In these confirmed distraction-related crashes, 76 fatalities occurred (4.2% of all traffic-related fatalities).
The true number of distraction-related fatal crashes and fatalities is likely much higher. Table 2 shows the number and percent of confirmed distraction-related fatal crashes and traffic fatalities between 2018 and 2022.

Although it is challenging for law enforcement to determine whether distraction is a contributing factor in a fatal crash, the police crash report may be the only source available for this information. Therefore, the number of confirmed distractionrelated fatalities and serious injuries is usually underreported.

5 Dingus, T. A., Guo, F., Lee, S., Antin, J. F., Perez, M., Buchanan-King, M., & Hankey, J. (2016). Driver crash risk factors and prevalence evaluation using naturalistic driving
data. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(10), 2636-2641. doi:10.1073/pnas.1513271113
6 See Data Considerations for more information on the suspected-distracted driving definition established by the GDOT and CODES Page 3

Table 2. Confirmed Distraction-Related Fatal Crashes and Traffic Fatalities, 2018-2022

Fatal Crashes

Fatalities

Year

Total Fatal Crashes

Confirmed Distraction-Related Total Traffic Confirmed Distraction-Related

Number

Percent

Fatalities

Number

Percent

2018

1,408

59

4.2%

1,505

65

4.3%

2019

1,378

43

3.1%

1,492

43

2.9%

2020

1,522

55

3.6%

1,664

61

3.7%

2021

1,681

52

3.0%

1,809

58

3.2%

2022

1,678

74

Source: FARS 2018-2022

4.4%

1,797

76

4.2%

In 2022, 30% of all serious injury7 crashes involved at least one driver confirmed or suspected of distraction. The number of serious injuries that involved a confirmed distracted driver increased by 20 percent-- from 354 serious injuries in 2021 to 423 in 2022.
Figure 1 shows the percent of fatal or serious injuries involving at least one confirmed distracted driver by person type in 2022.
48% were in the confirmed distracted driver's vehicle (represented by teal in Figure 1). - 36% were distracted drivers themselves. - 12% were passengers of the distracted driver.
52% were occupants of other vehicles or non-motorists (represented by brown and peach in Figure 1). - 39% were occupants of other vehicles not operated by the distracted driver. - 13% were non-motorists (i.e., pedestrians or bicyclists).
Eighty-one percent (81%) of confirmed distracted drivers involved in motor vehicle crashes did not have passenger occupants with them in the vehicle. Nineteen percent (19%) of confirmed distracted drivers had other passenger occupants riding with them.

Figure 1. Percent of Persons Fatally or Seriously Injured in Confirmed DistractionRelated Crashes by Person Type, 2022
Distracted vehicle
Undistracted vehicle or non-motorists

Non-Motorists 13% (64)

Confirmed Distracted Drivers
36% (181)

Occupants of Other Vehicles
39% (196)

Passengers of Confirmed Distracted
Drivers 12% (58)

76 Fatal Injuries 423 Serious Injuries
Source: FARS 2022, CODES 2022 Note: Undistracted vehicles were not reported to be confirmed distracted.

According to the "2023 Observational Survey of Driver Distraction in Georgia,"8 the proportion of drivers handling a phone (talking, texting, or dialing) was higher among unrestrained drivers than restrained drivers 8.5% of unrestrained drivers were observed to be handling a phone, and 6.1% of restrained drivers exhibiting similar distraction patterns.

7 Suspected serious injuries are reported by law enforcement and used when any injury, other than fatal injury, prevents the injured person from walking, driving, or normally continuing the activities the person was capable of before the injury occurred. 8 Rupp, Jonathan. 2023. "Statewide Rates of Driver Distraction: An Observational Survey of Driver Distraction in Georgia, 2023". The Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory (IPRCE), Emory University: Atlanta, Georgia.
Page 4

Crash Characteristics
Table 3 below shows the rate of distraction-related motor vehicle traffic crashes (per 100M VMT) by region type and roadway classification in 2022. Distraction-related crashes occur more frequently and at greater rates on roadways with higher functional classifications compared to non-distraction related crashes.
For the eleven counties in the Atlanta region, principal arterial roads were the road type with the highest
rate of distraction-related crashes --1,675.5 distraction-related crash rate (per 100M VMT).
For other urban counties, principal arterial roads were the road type with the highest rate of distraction-
related crashes--975.5 distraction-related crash rate (per 100M VMT).
For rural counties, collector roads were the road type with highest rate of distraction-related crashes--
414.8 distraction-related crash rate (per 100M VMT).
Across all counties in Georgia, principal arterial roads had the highest rate of distraction-related
crashes--972.0 distraction-related crash rate (per 100M VMT).

Table 3. Distraction-Related and Non-Distraction-Related Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Rate (per 100M VMT) by Region and Roadway Classification, 2022

Roadway Classification

Atlanta Region9
(11 counties)
Distraction- NonRelated Distraction

Other Urban Counties
(30 counties)

Distraction-

Non-

Related Distraction

Rural Counties
(118 counties)
Distraction- NonRelated Distraction

Statewide
Distraction- NonRelated Distraction

Interstate

612.4

203.3

194.8

99.4

108.6

79.9

374.9

144.7

Principal Arterial 1,675.5 1,190.9

975.5

751.4

349.5 346.6

972.0

745.2

Minor Arterial

1,319.6 1,330.9

749.7

759.1

381.8 397.8

870.7

882.5

Collectors

1,030.2 1,201.3

601.8

779.3

414.8 386.0

609.4

687.2

Local

388.4

549.0

329.7

511.2

287.5 413.7

347.2

508.1

All Roadways*

895.9

718.3

549.4

521.2

326.2 324.2

627.6

547.3

*Total includes freeway/ramp roadway classifications. Note: Principal arterials include freeways, and multilane highways (e.g., Buford Highway in DeKalb County and SR-520 & US-82 in Atkinson County). Minor arterials are other important multilane roadways that supplement the highways (e.g., Spring Street in Fulton County and SR-56 in Richmond County). Collector roads are roads that connect local roads and streets with arterials. Source: 2022 Numetric Roadway Function Class, 2022 GDOT 445 Mileage by Route Type and Functional Classification (VMT unadjusted)

Figure 2 shows the proportion of all motor vehicle crashes that were distraction-related by county and their deviation from the statewide percent of distraction-related crashes (53%). For additional information, see the Appendix for the percent of distraction-related crashes by county. Generally, there are lower proportions of distraction-related crashes among all crashes in the coastal plain and South Georgia region.

Eight out of the eleven counties within the
Atlanta Region had a greater percentage of distraction-related crashes compared to the statewide percent.
Two out of 30 other urban counties and 19
out of 118 rural counties had a greater percentage of distraction-related crashes compared to the statewide percent.
The counties with the highest proportion
of distraction-related crashes are Baker (76%) and Crawford (71%)--which are classified as rural counties.

Figure 2. Percent of Distraction-Related Traffic Crashes and Deviation from the Statewide Percent by County, 2022
68-78% Distraction-Related Crashes 58-67% 51-57% -- statewide percent (53%) 41-50% 28-40%
Source: CODES 2022. Note: Counties that are light to dark teal have a lower percentage of distraction-related crashes compared to the statewide percent. Counties that are light to dark orange have a higher percentage of distraction-related crashes compared to the statewide percent.

9 The Atlanta Region includes the ten counties that are defined by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC): Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties. In July 2021, Forsyth County officially joined ARC, becoming the 11th county member.
Page 5

Distracted Driver Convictions (Crash and Non-Crash)

On July 1, 2018, Georgia's Hands-Free Law (O.C.G.A. 40-6-241) furthered the "no texting while driving" law and made it illegal for drivers (including young drivers) to physically hold or support a wireless communications device while driving. Under this law, drivers can be cited and convicted for distracted driving that may or may not have resulted in a motor vehicle traffic crash. Amendments to the law also provided the point system for suspension or revocation of license for habitually negligent or dangerous drivers. While first-time offenders of Georgia's Hands-Free Law can be excused if they provide evidence that they have obtained a device that allows them to use hands-free communication technology, the increase in enforcement and convictions for distracted driving indicates a growing traffic safety concern. See the "Legal Perspective" section for more information regarding how the legal codes for distracted driving citations and convictions have changed over time in Georgia.

Table 4 presents the number of distracted driver convictions (that may or may not have resulted in a motor vehicle traffic crash), licensed drivers, and distracted driver conviction rates from 2013 to 2022.
While the number of distracted driving convictions increased steadily over the 10year period, the number of convictions reported to DDS more than doubled from 2017 to 2018 (2.2 times) and from 2018 to 2019 (2.6 times). In 2022, the number of distracted driving convictions and rate per licensed drivers increased by 7% compared to 2021.

Table 4. Distracted Driver Convictions, Licensed Drivers, and Distracted Driver Conviction Rate, 2013-2022

Distracted

Year

Driver

Convictions

Licensed Drivers

Distracted Driver
Conviction Rate per 100,000 Licensed Drivers

2013

5,162

7,043,349

73.3

2014

5,837

7,099,538

82.2

2015

6,883

7,263,758

94.8

2016

9,148

7,337,619

124.7

2017

11,505

7,414,323

155.2

2018

25,593

7,512,197

340.7

2019

65,625

7,616,176

861.7

2020

31,173

7,891,390

395.0

2021

43,846

8,007,599

547.6

Figure 3 shows the number of distracted driver convictions processed by DDS from January 2017 to December 2022. After the law took effect, the number of convictions processed by DDS increased 5.5 times during the first 18 months, from 965 distracted driver convictions in July 2018 to 5,344 in December 2019. However, the number of distracted driving convictions processed by DDS decreased significantly during the 2020 year during the COVID-19 public health emergency response in Georgia. The higher number of distracted driving convictions processed in 2022 suggests that the court reporting and processing may have returned to pre-pandemic norms.

Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct

2022

48,776

8,341,774

584.7

Note: Distracted driver convictions may or may not have resulted in a motor vehicle traffic crash. The distracted driver convictions are summarized by the year the violation occurred. License totals include individuals with permits/provisional licenses and unexpired, suspended licenses. Source: DDS 2013-2022

Figure 3. Distracted Driver Convictions, January 2017 December 2022

Governor declared a Public Health

State of Emergency for COVID-19

7,000

March 2020

6,000

5,000 Georgia's Hands-Free Law Effective July 1, 2018
4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

-

The COVID-19 response caused many Georgia courts to temporarily postpone court hearings, including traffic court, and many traffic safety law enforcement officers were reassigned to other critical and high-priority areas. Therefore, many distracted driving convictions may not have been reported to the Department of Driver Services.

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Note: Distracted driver convictions may or may not have resulted in a motor vehicle traffic crash. The distracted driver convictions are summarized by the year DDS processed the conviction. Source: DDS 2017-2022 Distracted Driver Report by Process Month.

Page 6

Table 5 shows the counties with the highest number of distracted driving convictions processed by DDS and the rate of distracted driver convictions per 100,000 licensed drivers in 2022.
Gwinnett County has consistently had the highest number of distracted driving convictions compared to any other county. From 2011-2017 (before the Hands-Free Law), Gwinnett represented 26% of all distracted driving convictions across the state. In 2022, however, Gwinnett represented 11% of all distracted driving convictions reported across the state-- indicative of Gwinnett's consistent enforcement of distracted driving laws and other counties increasing their distracted driving enforcement. The top five counties with the greatest number of distracted convictions processed by DDS represented 26% of all distracted driving convictions (12,561 out of 48,766) and 148 Georgia counties represented 74% of all distracted driving convictions. In 2022, six counties did not have any distracted driving convictions processed by DDS.
Of all drivers issued one or more citations involved in a motor vehicle traffic crash, nearly two out of every 100 drivers received a distracted driving citation. Table 6 shows the counties with the highest number of distracted driver citations issued after a motor vehicle traffic crash incident and the rate of distracted driver citations for every 1,000 distraction-related motor vehicle crashes in 2022. The five counties with the greatest number of distracted driving citations issued after a crash represented 32% of all distracted driving citations issued after a crash (1,416 out of 4,335) and 146 Georgia counties represented 68% of all distracted driving citations after a crash. In 2022, eight counties did not have any distracted driving citations issued after a crash.

Table 5. Top Five Counties with the Highest Distracted Driver Convictions and Distracted Driver Conviction Rate, 2022

Number of Distracted Driver
Convictions

Distracted Driver Conviction Rate per 100,000 Licensed Drivers

Rank

County

Number Rank County

Rate

1 Gwinnett

5,365

1 Liberty

3,583.7

2 Henry

2,242

2 Jenkins

3,524.5

3 Clarke

1,684

3 Banks

3,224.5

4 Liberty

1,683

4 Turner

2,948.9

5 Chatham

1,587

5 Cook

2,473.9

Note: The distracted driving violations presented in the table occurred in 2022 and may or may not have resulted in a motor vehicle traffic crash. While first-time offenders of Georgia's HandsFree Law can be excused if they provide evidence that they have obtained a device that allows them to use hands-free communication technology, the increase in enforcement and convictions for distracted driving indicates a growing traffic safety concern. Rates were calculated when the number of convictions in the county was greater than or equal to ten. Source: DDS 2022

See the "Additional Information" to access the Appendix for this document. The appendix includes the following information by county: Licensed drivers
Distracted driver citations issued after a motor vehicle traffic crash incident Convictions processed by the Department of Driver Services Percent and
rank of distraction-related motor vehicle crashes.

Table 6. Counties with the Highest Distracted Driver Citations Issued After a Motor Vehicle (MV) Traffic Crash and Distracted Driver Citation Rate, 2022

Number of Distracted Driver Citations Issued After a
MV Crash

Distracted Driver Citation Rate
per 1,000 Suspected or Confirmed
Distracted Driving Crashes

Rank County Number Rank County

Rate

1 Fulton

437 1

Pulaski

189.7

2 Chatham

356 2

Turner

162.8

3 Gwinnett

242 3

Dooly

144.7

4 Cobb

236 4

Dade

109.2

5

Hall / Paulding

145 5

Taylor

106.8

Source: CODES 2022 Note: Rates were calculated when the number of citations in the county was greater than or equal to ten. Hall and Paulding counties have equal number of citations issued after a motor vehicle crash in 2022. The resulting convictions of citations issued after a motor vehicle crash is not known.

Page 7

Distracted Drivers by Age Group
While drivers aged 15-to-24 years represented 15% of all licensed drivers in 2022, they were more involved in distraction-related motor vehicle crashes and received more distracted driving citations after a crash compared to any other age group (Table 7). Compared to drivers in other age groups, drivers aged 15-to-24 years represented:
26% of all suspected or confirmed distracted drivers
involved in crashes;
28% of all confirmed distracted drivers involved in
fatal crashes;
32% of all drivers issued a distracted driver citation
after a crash; and
21% of all distracted driving convictions.

According to the 2021 High School Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 29% of Georgia high school students texted or e-mailed while driving a car or other vehicle during the 30 days before the survey10.

Table 7. Licensed Drivers, Confirmed or Suspected Distracted Drivers Involved in Types of Motor Vehicle (MV) Crashes, Distracted Driver Citations Issued after a Motor Vehicle Crash, Distracted Driver Convictions by Age Group, 2022

Age Group

Licensed Drivers

Confirmed or Suspected Distracted Driver
Involved in a Crash

Confirmed Distracted
Driver Involved in a Fatal Crash*

Distracted Driver Citations Issued
Post-Crash

Distracted Driver Convictions
(Crash or Non-Crash)

15-24

15%

26%

28%

32%

21%

15-20

8%

13%

18%

17%

8%

21-24

7%

12%

10%

15%

13%

25-34

17%

24%

24%

28%

32%

35-44

16%

18%

22%

18%

22%

45-54

16%

13%

18%

10%

13%

55-64

16%

11%

4%

8%

8%

65+

20%

8%

4%

4%

3%

TOTAL 100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

Note: Distracted driver convictions may or may not have resulted in a motor vehicle traffic crash. Percents are calculated using records with known age over 15 years. * FARS 2022 data was not available during the time of reporting. Source: DDS 2022, CODES 2022

The Georgia Distracted Driving Observational Survey estimates the statewide prevalence of driver distraction during the daylight hours. According to the 2023 survey, observed distracted driving decreases as age increases, with younger drivers exhibiting higher rates of distraction compared to older drivers. In 2023, 23% of drivers aged 16 to 24 years, 21% of drivers aged 25 to 69 years, and 9% of drivers 70 years and older were observed to be distracted while driving.

Figure 4. Observed Driver Distraction in Georgia by Age Group, 2023

23%

21%

9%

16-24

25-69

70+

Age Group (Years)

Source: 2023 Georgia Distracted Driving Observational Survey

The differences in the proportion of convictions processed by the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) and the proportions of drivers observed to be distracted can be attributed to several factors. These factors may include differences in citation procedures, enforcement priorities, court processes, technological factors, legislative factors, and other systems of influence.

10 Source: 2021 CDC (The YRBS is conducted every two years among a representative group of Georgia public school students.)

Page 8

Other Distracted Driving Studies
National Distracted Driving Report As of July 2020, Georgia is one of a few states that banned the handheld use of cell phones and text messaging while driving. According to a Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) study, distracted driving reduced after Georgia's Hands-Free Law was enacted on July 1, 2018. The study showed a 23.7% reduction after the first two weeks and a 17.9% reduction after the first three months the Georgia law took effect (CMT, 2020 ). Despite these immediate reductions in distracted driving after the law was enacted, other national studies (including crash data and attitudinal surveys) show that the change in driver behavior was not sustainable, especially with the growth of new technologies.
The CMT study estimates that drivers spent 1 minute and 38 seconds on average
distracted on their phones for each hour of driving in February 2022 a 30% increase compared to February 2020 (CMT, 2022 ).
Additionally, in a 2020 observational study conducted by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, 2.8% of all drivers were observed holding a cell phone to their ears while driving. This study also estimates that 7.9% of drivers were using a handheld or hands-free cellphone device during daylight hours (National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 2020 ).
In-Vehicle Infotainment Systems AAA study of in-vehicle infotainment systems (modern integrated systems within motor vehicles that provides information, entertainment, and connectivity features) can cause additional distraction for drivers operating a motor vehicle. These systems create a medium to heavy cognitive load in drivers and need to be engineered to reduce that load on drivers. Audio, calling, texting, and navigation were the activities studied. AAA found that in-vehicle infotainment created potentially unsafe distraction for all drivers, but particularly older drivers. Older drivers (55 to 75 years of age) experience slower times to complete in-vehicle tasks while driving compared to younger drivers (25 to 40 years of age)--18 to 31 seconds versus 25 to 40 seconds, respectively.
Page 9

Legal Perspective
On July 1, 2018, Georgia's Hands-Free Law further expanded the "no texting while driving" law and made it illegal for drivers (including young drivers) to have a phone in their hand or for a phone to touch any part of their body while driving. This policy change provided greater specification for a distracted driving offense and clarification of the Hands-Free Law for law enforcement to further address distracted driving on Georgia roadways.
The number of convictions processed by DDS more than doubled from 2017 to 2018 (2.2 times) and from 2018 to 2019 (2.5 times).
The most common code used before the Hands-Free Law was O.C.G.A. 40-6-241 "Failure to exercise due care/careless driving."
After the Hands-Free Law became effective, O.C.G.A. 40-6-241(c) "Unlawful use of wireless device" is the most commonly used legal code in distracted driving convictions.

Table 8. Distracted Driver Convictions Reported to Department of Driver Services by Legal Code and Violation Year, 2013-2022

Convictions Codes

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018*

O.C.G.A. 40-6-241

Failure to exercise due care/careless 2,601

driving

O.C.G.A. 40-6-241(b) Failure to exercise due care

-

O.C.G.A. 40-6-241(c) Unlawful use of wireless device

-

O.C.G.A. 40-6-241(d)

Unlawful use of wireless device in

-

Commercial Motor Vehicle

O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.111*

Unlawful use of wireless device <18 / 204

using hand-held phone, driving

O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.2 *

Operating a vehicle while text

2,357

messaging/texting while driving

O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.2(b)(1) Operating a

vehicle while text messaging/texting

-

while driving

O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.2(b)(2)(A) Holding

wireless device for voice communication/using hand-held

-

phone, driving

O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.2(b)(2)(B) Using >1

button on wireless device for voice

-

comm./using hand-held phone, driving

O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.2(b)(2)(C) Reaching

for wireless device/using hand-held

-

phone, driving

2,756 3,895 5,231

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

278 217 373

2,803 801

-

- 1,943 3,432

-

26 109

-

1

3

-

-

-

7,175 3,818

- 2,778 - 16,702

-

47

491 230

-

-

3,702 1,938

131 76

6

4

-

-

TOTAL

5,162 5,837 6,883 9,148 11,505 25,593

Source: Distracted Driver Convictions Reported to Department of Driver Services Summarized by Violation Year, 2022 *On July 1, 2018, Georgia's Hands-Free Law (O.C.G.A. 40-6-241) **Governor declared a Public Health State of Emergency for COVID-19 March 2020

2019 -
4,802 60,729
94 -
-
65,625

2020** -
2,170 28,957
46 -
-
31,173

2021 -
4,092 39,627
127 -
-
43,846

2022 5,702 42,841 223
48,766

11 * O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.1 and O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.2 repealed by 2018 Ga. Laws 298, 6, eff. 7/1/2018.

Page 10

Data Definitions and Considerations:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines confirmed distraction-related activities as anything that takes a driver's eyes off the road (visual distraction), mind off the road (cognitive distraction), or hands off the wheel (manual distraction).
Police crash reports are reviewed in a post hoc analysis by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, Georgia Department of Public Health, and the Georgia Department of Transportation using a jointly developed definition of suspected distracted driving based on multiple factors. The imputation of suspected distracted drivers includes drivers that indicate emotional distress and evidence of driver inattention and distraction. The imputation removes driver contributing factors that include drug/alcohol impairment, sleepiness/drowsiness, aggressive/reckless driving, and speeding. The definition also excludes roadway and vehicle contributing factors. The CODES Analytical Reference Guide is available upon request.
A traffic crash is defined as an incident that involved one or more motor vehicles where at least one vehicle was in transport, and the crash originated on a public trafficway, such as a road or highway. Crashes that occurred on private property, including parking lots and driveways, are excluded.
Fatal crashes are defined as crashes that involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and that resulted in the death of a motorist or a non-motorist within 30 days of the crash.
Suspected serious injuries are reported by law enforcement and used when any injury, other than fatal injury, prevents the injured person from walking, driving, or normally continuing the activities the person was capable of before the injury occurred.
The Department of Driver Services licensing database is a live database system and represents the information at a pointin-time on the date of extraction.
The Georgia's Hands-Free Law (House Bill 673 (O.C.G.A. 40-6-241)) of 2018 introduced new legal codes to enforce the "no texting while driving" law. Some Georgia counties may not have reported distracted driver convictions in 2019.

Additional Information:
Other general information on distracted driving may be accessed at:
https://dds.georgia.gov/distracteddriver-data-reports
https://www.gahighwaysafety.org/high way-safety/shsp/
Other fact sheets available at the Governor's Office of Highway Safety and Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation Systems (CODES) are Older Drivers, Young Drivers, Motorcycles, NonMotorists (Pedestrians & Bicyclists), and Occupant Protection.
The suggested APA format citation for this document is:
Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System. (2023, April). Distracted Drivers: 2022 Preliminary data. (Georgia Traffic Safety Facts). Atlanta, GA: Governor's Office of Highway Safety.

References:
Rupp, Jonathan. 2023. "Statewide Rates of Driver Distraction: An Observational Survey of Driver Distraction in Georgia, 2023". The Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory (IPRCE), Emory University: Atlanta, Georgia.
World Health Organization. (2023). "Road Traffic Injuries" Available online: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries
Dingus, T. A., Guo, F., Lee, S., Antin, J. F., Perez, M., Buchanan-King, M., &amp; Hankey, J. (2016). Driver crash risk factors and prevalence evaluation using naturalistic driving data. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(10), 2636-2641. doi:10.1073/pnas.1513271113
National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2024, January). Driver electronic device use in 2022 (Traffic Safety Facts Research Note. Report No. DOT HS 813 531). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Available online: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813531
Cambridge Mobile Telematics (2022). "2022 US Distracted Driving Report." Available online: www.cmtelematics.com/the-2022-usdistracted-driving-report.
Cambridge Mobile Telematics (2020). "The Harsh Realities of Phone Distraction." Available online: https://www.cmtelematics.com/phone_distraction_report/
American Automobile Association. (2019, July). Vehicle Infotainment Systems Especially Distracting to Older Drivers. AAA Newsroom. Available online: https://newsroom.aaa.com/2019/07/vehicleinfotainment-systems-especially-distracting-older-drivers/
Page 11

Appendix
Distracted Drivers Georgia Traffic Safety Facts (2022)
This document is the appendix for the 2022 Distracted Drivers Georgia Traffic Safety Facts. Visit https://www.gahighwaysafety.org/highway-safety/shsp/ to access the full report.

Distracted Driver convictions are convictions processed at the Georgia Department of Driver Services. The total convictions include the following codes based on the county where the violation occurred.

O.C.G.A. 40-6-241(b) O.C.G.A. 40-6-241(c) O.C.G.A. 40-6-241(d)

Failure to exercise due care Unlawful use of wireless device Unlawful use of wireless device in CMV

Data Considerations: On July 1, 2018, Georgia's Hands-Free Law furthered the "no texting while driving" law and made it illegal for drivers
(including young drivers) to physically hold or support a wireless communications device while driving. Under Georgia's Hands-Free Law, drivers can be cited and convicted for distracted driving that may or may not have resulted in a motor vehicle traffic crash. While first-time offenders of Georgia's Hands-Free Law can be excused if they provide evidence that they have obtained a device that allows them to use hands-free communication technology, the increase in enforcement and convictions for distracted driving indicates a growing traffic safety concern. Gwinnett County has consistently had the highest number of distracted driving convictions compared to any other county. From 2011-2017 (prior to the Hands-Free Law), Gwinnett represented 11% of all distracted driving convictions across the state. Some Georgia counties may not have reported all or any distracted driver convictions in 2022. There were 578 distracted driving convictions in 2022, where the county of violation was not known.

Licensed Drivers, Citations Issued after Motor Vehicle Crash, Distracted Driving Convictions, and Percent Confirmed or Suspected Distracted Drivers (Distraction-Related) Involved in Motor Vehicle Crashes by County, 2022

County Name
STATEWIDE Appling Atkinson Bacon Baker Baldwin Banks Barrow Bartow Ben Hill Berrien Bibb Bleckley Brantley Brooks Bryan Bulloch Burke

Licensed Drivers
8,223,689 14,119 5,603 8,098 2,334 30,008 16,747 72,636 93,016 12,374 14,216
108,468 9,306
14,073 11,328 37,453 52,657 18,406

Distracted Driving
Convictions
48,766 94
<10 14 --
311 540
80 1,146
50 101 117
65 42 <10 162 801 154

Distracted Driving Citations
Issued After a Crash
43,335
<10 <10 <10
-<10 <10
12 113 <10
15 18 <10 <10 13 <10 119 11

MV Traffic Crashes

Percent DistractionRelated
Percent Rank

Total Crashes

53%

383,633

58% 41% 54% 77% 56% 51% 53% 54% 42% 52% 50% 38% 47% 46% 54% 51% 59%

(18) (132)
(40) (1)
(27) (62) (59) (40) (123) (62) (78) (138) (97) (110) (40) (62) (13)

537 122 253
82 1,817
564 3,090 4,057
464 501 6,731 167 210 348 1,236 2,424 593
Page 12

Licensed Drivers, Citations Issued after Motor Vehicle Crash, Distracted Driving Convictions, and Percent Confirmed or Suspected Distracted Drivers (Distraction-Related) Involved in Motor Vehicle Crashes by County, 2022 (con't)

County Name
Butts Calhoun Camden Candler Carroll Catoosa Charlton Chatham Chattahoochee Chattooga Cherokee Clarke Clay Clayton Clinch Cobb Coffee Colquitt Columbia Cook Coweta Crawford Crisp Dade Dawson Decatur Dekalb Dodge Dooly Dougherty Douglas Early Echols Effingham Elbert Emanuel Evans Fannin Fayette Floyd Forsyth Franklin

Licensed Drivers
20,778 3,372
43,998 8,219
98,134 55,140
7,687 218,684
4,635 19,293 223,816 78,005
2,219 200,849
4,808 589,633
29,167 32,839 127,525 13,501 123,589 10,326 15,089 13,753 26,861 20,934 536,885 13,782
7,040 59,373 112,043
8,025 2,557 56,035 16,259 16,884 7,624 23,791 104,153 75,842 205,799 19,669

Distracted Driving
Convictions
180 22
258 75
161 898 <10 1,587 <10
41 817 1,684
34 1,203
15 796 352 282 423 334 918
12 64 166 335 64 1,030 42 104 468 481 11 <10 168 76 226 35 160 1,380 1,066 464 344

Distracted Driving
Citations Issued After a Crash <10 <10 21 <10 43 80 <10 356 <10 <10 75 119 -103 <10 236 25 34 10 17 82 <10 11 13 17 10 113 <10 23 43 51 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 24 37 29 <10

MV Traffic Crashes

Percent DistractionRelated

Total Crashes

50% 42% 41% 40% 53% 54% 51% 49% 36% 44% 60% 51% 54% 54% 38% 56% 38% 49% 60% 48% 57% 71% 48% 54% 56% 36% 58% 36% 48% 45% 51% 57% 59% 48% 45% 38% 35% 53% 59% 52% 58% 55%

(78) (123) (128) (136)
(51) (51) (62) (78) (149) (116) (10) (62) (51) (40) (138) (27) (138) (91) (13) (91) (27)
(2) (97) (40) (27) (145) (18) (149) (91) (110) (74) (27) (13) (91) (110) (138) (149) (51) (13) (62) (18) (37)

632 45
1,114 278
4,014 2,188
156 14,461
42 446 6,771 5,267
54 14,242
94 28,141
1,024 1,230 4,701
532 4,726
279 769 220 1,038 608 38,651 332 328 3,450 5,612 277
32 1,469
343 410 141 785 3,649 3,481 6,334 836

Page 13

Licensed Drivers, Citations Issued after Motor Vehicle Crash, Distracted Driving Convictions, and Percent Confirmed or Suspected Distracted Drivers (Distraction-Related) Involved in Motor Vehicle Crashes by County, 2022 (con't)

County Name
Fulton Gilmer Glascock Glynn Gordon Grady Greene Gwinnett Habersham Hall Hancock Haralson Harris Hart Heard Henry Houston Irwin Jackson Jasper Jeff Davis Jefferson Jenkins Johnson Jones Lamar Lanier Laurens Lee Liberty Lincoln Long Lowndes Lumpkin Macon Madison Marion McDuffie McIntosh Meriwether Miller Mitchell

Licensed Drivers
777,984 27,772 2,279 67,843 46,971 17,877 17,267
716,264 37,335
168,257 6,243
26,372 30,408 22,308
9,984 198,244 128,960
7,240 66,890 13,246 10,982 12,220
5,703 6,144 23,902 16,283 6,754 38,636 26,943 46,963 6,926 12,969 83,472 26,634 7,714 25,910 5,926 16,948 10,394 18,738 4,316 15,485

Distracted Driving
Convictions
1,518 66
<10 1,170
422 160 <10 5,365 642 1,587 <10
42 234 <10 <10 2,242 680
11 292
21 110
67 201
54 115
59 10 241 293 1,683 -90 455 57 94 -35 47 80 131 <10 38

Distracted Driving
Citations Issued After a Crash 437 10 -35 24 12 <10 242 50 145 -<10 23 <10 <10 45 83 <10 19 <10 <10 -<10 <10 <10 <10 <10 13 <10 54 -<10 104 14 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10 <10

MV Traffic Crashes

Percent DistractionRelated

52% 47% 47% 50% 45% 40% 59% 57% 50% 53% 37% 40% 52% 54% 54% 57% 52% 50% 52% 56% 36% 34% 40% 63% 60% 52% 46% 42% 59% 50% 37% 47% 47% 56% 36% 57% 41% 44% 34% 50% 36% 49%

(59) (97) (97) (74) (110) (136) (18) (27) (78) (51) (143) (132) (62) (51) (40) (27) (62) (78) (59) (27) (149) (155) (132)
(5) (10) (62) (110) (128) (18) (78) (145) (97) (105) (27) (149) (24) (128) (116) (156) (78) (145) (78)

Total Crashes
56,618 896 34
2,574 1,773
317 645 32,511 1,216 8,023
51 535 580 881 222 10,780 4,176 206 2,743 345 262 205
94 125 673 471 127 1,559 480 1,785
38 268 3,697 842 151 728
75 634 107 371
97 493

Page 14

Licensed Drivers, Citations Issued after Motor Vehicle Crash, Distracted Driving Convictions, and Percent Confirmed or Suspected Distracted Drivers (Distraction-Related) Involved in Motor Vehicle Crashes by County, 2022 (con't)

County Name
Monroe Montgomery Morgan Murray Muscogee Newton Oconee Oglethorpe Paulding Peach Pickens Pierce Pike Polk Pulaski Putnam Quitman Rabun Randolph Richmond Rockdale Schley Screven Seminole Spalding Stephens Stewart Sumter Talbot Taliaferro Tattnall Taylor Telfair Terrell Thomas Tift Toombs Towns Treutlen Troup Turner Twiggs

Licensed Drivers
28,277 6,315
18,365 31,017 138,626 97,272 35,605 13,148 139,211 20,351 31,363 16,116 17,465 34,485
6,656 19,304
1,740 15,541
4,716 139,348
71,903 3,613
11,268 7,322
56,296 22,351
2,868 20,552
4,868 1,308 15,092 6,157 7,317 6,750 36,002 29,779 20,487 12,112 4,822 54,313 6,511 6,724

Distracted Driving
Convictions
315 48
170 248
50 641 151 165 583
89 43 33 183 63 54 99 12 76 -339 766 20 21 18 971 69 15 295 71 -69 32 109 91 153 425 129 77 16 69 192 104

Distracted Driving
Citations Issued After a Crash <10 <10 <10 20 112 32 <10 <10 145 15 16 <10 <10 10 11 -<10 13 <10 36 29 <10 -<10 18 18 <10 18 <10 <10 <10 11 <10 <10 25 35 <10 <10 <10 64 14 <10

MV Traffic Crashes

Percent DistractionRelated

58% 61% 56% 36% 49% 55% 66% 65% 51% 47% 51% 50% 63% 47% 46% 64% 36% 50% 41% 54% 54% 49% 34% 39% 46% 44% 55% 42% 54% 51% 38% 54% 29% 26% 48% 44% 50% 56% 43% 53% 42% 57%

(24) (8)
(37) (149)
(78) (40)
(3) (3) (62) (105) (74) (78) (5) (105) (105) (5) (145) (78) (132) (40) (51) (91) (156) (138) (105) (121) (40) (123) (40) (62) (143) (40) (158) (159) (97) (121) (78) (37) (123) (51) (128) (24)

Total Crashes
1,301 185 830 790
6,759 3,189 1,542
314 3,940 1,144
928 403 322 1,007 126 742
36 491
88 8,780 3,884
41 182
98 1,983
648 75
781 98
133 293 190 125 147 1,517 1,474 929 239 155 2,985 206 500

Page 15

Licensed Drivers, Citations Issued after Motor Vehicle Crash, Distracted Driving Convictions, and Percent Confirmed or Suspected Distracted Drivers (Distraction-Related) Involved in Motor Vehicle Crashes by County, 2022 (con't)

County Name
Union Upson Walker Walton Ware Warren Washington Wayne Webster Wheeler White Whitfield Wilcox Wilkes Wilkinson Worth

Licensed Drivers
24,434 22,737 54,686 86,764 26,016
4,145 14,851 23,026
1,936 3,768 25,263 77,646 5,523 7,734 7,346 15,315

Distracted Driving
Convictions
35 159 407 242
33 <10
71 59 28 22 273 825 -92 <10 52

Distracted Driving
Citations Issued After a Crash 12 20 37 18 <10 <10 <10 12 <10 <10 11 97 <10 <10 <10 <10

MV Traffic Crashes

Percent DistractionRelated

Total Crashes

56% 45% 45% 48% 48% 42% 59% 48% 45% 45% 51% 50% 60% 51% 59% 61%

(27) (116) (116)
(91) (97) (123) (13) (97) (110) (116) (74) (78) (10) (62) (18)
(8)

673 703 1,179 2,562 1,160 166 528 674
40 74 759 3,493 86 131 214 651

Page 16