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Though D.C. is reportedly a good place to go carless, many people still choose to drive in this highly-congested region. According to a new analysis, drivers in the District are very distracted by their cell phones when they’re behind the wheel.
Life360, a company that gives drivers safety tools and tracks data, found that D.C. drivers use their cell phones about 2.26 times during rides, the fourth highest rate of cell phone use during driving among U.S. cities.
That means that D.C. is a city of law-breakers. As of 2004, it’s been illegal for motorists to use their phones or other electronic devices while driving in the city unless they have hands-free technology.
After looking at driving behavior trends across millions of its users, the company found that New Orleans, Atlanta, and Miami are the top three cities with distracted drivers.
Tampa rounds out the top five cities with its drivers being distracted by phones about 2.17 times during trips. The national average is 1.78 times, according to Life360.
In 2015, more than 38,000 people died in car crashes across the country, according to the National Safety Council, which found that cell phone usage is one of three top distractions among drivers. The organization also points out that cell phone-related car crashes are under-reported because “no breathalyzer-like test exists for cell phone use behind the wheel and drivers in crashes are often reluctant to admit use,” among other things.
Life360 also sourced data from the council that tells what percentage of drivers across the country feel “at-risk” because of others’ cell phone usage, feel comfortable texting while on the road, and feel as if they’re putting others in danger.
Graphic via Life360