Nearly 3 in 10 Americans Admit to Using Their Phone While Driving

Reviews.org's 2026 Cell Phone Usage Stats survey found that 29% of Americans admit to using or looking at their phone while driving, a behavior that covers everything from glancing at a notification to actively texting or talking.

That's an increase from 2025, when 27% reported the same behavior, a 2.4% increase year over year.

The last time the survey was run (2025), 27% of people reported phone use while driving, compared to 29% in this year's (2026) survey, at least in self-reports.

Although it's a modest increase since last year, the direction of the trend does feel concerning. In Reviews.org's 2025 Cell Phone Usage Stats report, we found Americans were checking their phones 205 times a day on average. That figure dropped to 186 times a day in 2026, suggesting people may be picking up their phones slightly less overall, but spending more time on screens.

Even in self-reporting — where people tend to downplay risky habits — nearly 3 in 10 saying 'yes' suggests this behavior has become socially normalized.

Self-report surveys are good for broad behavioral signals, but they can’t verify the frequency, context, or exact actions. With self-reporting, there’s always the potential that people underreport to minimize the perception of risky behavior, which means the true number could be even higher.

Phone use while driving covers a wide range of behaviors — from glancing at a notification or changing music, to texting, talking, or using maps while in motion. Not all of these carry the same level of risk, but they all involve some degree of divided attention.

That wide range of possibilities also makes the self-reporting harder to interpret. Someone who glanced at their GPS and someone who sent a text may both answer ‘yes’ to the same survey question.

If you struggle with these things, it may be time for a digital detox.

The upward trend in self-reported phone use comes as several states move to tighten distracted driving laws.

South Carolina began enforcing a new hands-free law in February. Tennessee is pushing to raise court costs for texting violations under Bill SB 1591. Arizona's HB 2109 would expand the state's existing hands-free law to also prohibit watching, recording, or streaming video while driving.

Whether stricter enforcement changes behavior remains to be seen, but the recent legislative activity makes one thing clear: Phone use behind the wheel isn't just a bad decision, it's a public safety issue.

Do you wish you could avoid using your phone while driving? Here are some easy ways to reduce the temptation to squeeze in extra screen time:

• Turn on Driving Focus / Do Not Disturb while driving
• Set auto-replies for common contacts
• Put the phone out of reach (like in a bag or the back seat)
• Use audio-first navigation, or your car’s navigation system, and set the route before driving
• Disable non-essential notifications temporarily