Selecting music, checking directions and talking with passengers are the top three driver distractions according to a survey conducted by Assurance, an InsurTech subsidiary of Prudential Financial.

The online survey of more than 3,000 drivers across 44 states between April 25 – May 12, 2023, found that 37 percent of U.S. drivers have texted while driving in the past month.

The survey also revealed that certain states engage in more risky behaviors than others.

In Mississippi and New Hampshire, 50 percent of drivers admit to texting while driving in the past 30 days.

Other states with the highest percentage of residents who have texted while driving in the last month are Missouri (49 percent), Alabama (48.1 percent) and Louisiana (48.1 percent).

The states with drivers who reported texting while driving the least in the last 30 days are New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon and New Jersey.

Drivers in West Virginia, Missouri, Texas, Rhode Island and Tennessee send the most texts while driving, the survey found.

On average, West Virginia drivers text while driving 11.3 times a month, while Missouri drivers text while driving 10.9 times a month.

In Texas, drivers surveyed admitted to texting behind the wheel 8.5 times a month.

For context, Assurance noted the average American driver texts while driving 4.8 times a month.

On average, drivers in New York, Nebraska, Minnesota, Oregon and Maine send the fewest texts while driving each month.

The following 10 behaviors are the most prevalent distractions among drivers, according to the survey:

Selecting Music: A staggering 68.9 percent of drivers admit to selecting music while behind the wheel.

Checking Directions: Over half (56.1 percent) of drivers surveyed admit to checking their GPS devices or navigation systems while driving.

Interacting with Passengers: About 54.8 percent of drivers engage in conversations or interactions with adults inside the vehicle.

Eating: Approximately 37.5 percent of drivers admit to eating while driving.

Interacting with Children in the Car: Around 21.1 percent of drivers report being distracted by their kids while traveling.

Texting and Emailing: Despite well-known risks, 19.2 percent of drivers still text while driving.

Making a Phone Call: Approximately 18.1 percent of drivers admit to making phone calls without using hands-free devices while driving.

Grooming and Applying Makeup: Approximately 11.9 percent of drivers check their appearance in the mirror while driving.

Checking Social Media: Approximately 7.4 percent of drivers view social media feeds while driving.

Highway Hypnosis: Highway hypnosis, or “white line fever” is a trance-like state where a driver becomes mentally detached from their driving environment, Assurance explains.

The phenomenon often occurs during lengthy and monotonous journeys on highways or freeways. “When drivers enter this state, they may lose awareness of time, distance and potential hazards on the road,” the survey findings stated.

Of the drivers surveyed, 54 percent experienced highway hypnosis at some point while driving.

Additional findings of the survey include:

• 37 percent of U.S. drivers regularly ignore no-texting laws while driving, yet only 2.9 percent of drivers have been pulled over while doing so.
• 20 percent of drivers don’t know if their state has a law banning texting while driving.
• 86 percent of Americans report they would feel unsafe in a car with a driver who was texting, but only 47 percent of Americans say they would feel unsafe if they were the ones texting while driving.
• 26 percent of drivers have driven with AirPods or earphones in their ears.
• 46 percent of drivers have honked their horns at another driver who was texting while driving.

Due to insufficient survey respondents, Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming were excluded from the analysis.