Where is the problem worst? Highest vs. Lowest Regions
When it comes to fatalities linked to smartphone distraction, not all places are equally affected. A comparative look at different countries – and at individual U.S. states – reveals striking disparities. These differences often correlate with local laws, enforcement, and even cultural factors:
Within the United States
Certain states stand out as hotspots for distraction-related crashes. According to an analysis by Zutobi using federal data, New Mexico has ranked worst in the nation for four years running. In 2023 New Mexico reported 163 distracted-driving deaths, 37% of all its fatal crashes – the highest share in the country.
Other states with very high proportions of fatal crashes involving distraction include Louisiana and Kansas (around 30%).
By contrast, some states report relatively few distracted driving deaths. The most extreme case is Washington, D.C., which in one recent year recorded zero fatal crashes attributed to driver distraction.
States such as Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Mississippi were also among those with the lowest reported distracted-driving fatality rates.
Several of these "low" states are small or sparsely populated (e.g. Vermont, the Dakotas), which inherently see fewer total crashes – but interestingly, Mississippi made the low-fatality list despite its poor overall road safety record.
This paradox is likely due to reporting and enforcement gaps: Mississippi historically had weak cellphone laws (no full hand-held ban) and issued very few distracted driving citations, which can lead to undercounting distraction as a cause. In short, states that appear safe in distraction statistics may simply not be catching or recording it.
In the Developed World
The United States, with roughly 3,000+ distraction fatalities yearly, clearly bears a large burden in absolute terms (unsurprising given its population and car usage). But other developed countries are not immune.
Canada sees about 1 in 5 road deaths linked to driver distraction (including phones) according to Transport Canada data – meaning distraction rivals or exceeds impaired driving in some provinces.
Some European countries have notable issues: for example, Ireland's road safety agency estimates distraction (often phone-related) is a factor in 20–30% of collisions, and Italy has reported that roughly 1 in 4 fatal crashes involve a distracted driver.
In Australia, national research suggests approximately 14–18% of deadly crashes involve mobile phone distraction, prompting several states to deploy special traffic cameras to catch drivers on their phones.
On the other end of the spectrum, some countries report relatively low numbers: the UK recorded 22 mobile-phone-related road deaths in 2022, and Japan's 31 phone distraction deaths in 2024 also represent just ~1% of its traffic fatalities.
These lower figures may reflect successful enforcement and public attitudes (UK and Japan have long outlawed hand-held phone use while driving), but they also likely underestimate the problem (e.g. unless a crash investigation finds an obvious phone in hand, the cause may be logged differently).
Summary
The worst hotspots for smartphone-distraction fatalities tend to be areas with a combination of heavy phone use and insufficient countermeasures. New Mexico's nation-leading 37% distracted crash share in 2023 hints at systemic issues – possibly less stringent enforcement or broader driving-risk factors.
Places like the UK or DC that boast very low numbers benefit from strict laws, urban transit alternatives, and proactive policing. However, caution is warranted in interpreting the "best" cases: a zero in the data doesn't always mean zero drivers are distracted, only that none were documented.