U.S. drivers are distracted by their phones for nearly 11 out of every 100 miles driven, or 11 percent of the time, according to more than 1.3 billion miles of driving data from across the country analyzed by Root Insurance, a technology-driven personal car insurance carrier and subsidiary of Root, Inc.

In addition to its data analysis, the insurer surveyed 500 drivers nationwide to better understand where their attention is while on the road and what they’re doing to stay focused in the driver’s seat.

Geographic differences were noted across the U.S.

Oregon, Washington and West Virginia were the most focused states, while Louisiana, Mississippi, and Illinois ranked as having the most distracted drivers.

Portland, Oregon, topped the list of most focused cities (8.74 percent).

New Orleans, Louisiana, was the most distracted (15.20 percent), with drivers picking up their phones nearly 7 more times per 100 miles than those in Portland.

Not surprising, there are differences among generations.

Gen Z drivers use their phones nearly twice as often (14.78 percent) as Baby Boomers (6.34 percent) while driving.

The most focused drivers are seen in the early morning, with 5:00 a.m. noted as the least distracted hour of the day (7.16 percent).

Drivers were most distracted during the evening hours, with 7:00 p.m. showing the highest rates of phone use behind the wheel (11.65 percent).

A majority of drivers (86 percent) cited texting while driving as the most common phone-based distraction, followed by social media use (77 percent) and handheld phone calls (75 percent).

Nearly half (46 percent) admitted to a close call or accident while distracted and 60 percent of them reported changing their driving behavior afterward.

Nearly 13 percent of drivers admitted to using social media while driving. Among those, Facebook was the most commonly used app at 64 percent, followed by Instagram & TikTok at 61 percent.

Nearly three quarters (72 percent) of respondents said they’d be less likely to use their phones while driving if their insurance rate reflected their focus behind the wheel, a model Root uses to reward safe driving behavior.

“Phone use behind the wheel remains one of the most common and preventable risks on the road,” said Matt Bonakdarpour, president and chief technology officer at Root Insurance. “Distracted driving doesn’t just put the driver at risk, it endangers everyone around them and often creates a ripple effect of other unsafe behaviors, such as hard braking and sharp turns. Our data makes it clear that phone use while driving is still a major issue, and staying focused is one of the simplest ways to make the roads safer for everyone.”

Read the 2025 Focused Driving Report at joinroot.com/2025-focused-driving-report.