distracted driving

American

noun

driving a vehicle while engaging in an activity that has the potential to distract the driver from the task of driving.

Bans on cell phone use in cars will help to reduce the dangers of distracted driving.

Other Word Forms

distracted driver noun

Etymology

Origin of distracted driving

First recorded in 1995–2000

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Shulman blamed the problem in part on distracted driving.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 1, 2024

In 2021, more than 3,500 people in the United States were killed in crashes involving distracted driving, and more than 360,000 were injured, the agency said.

From New York Times • Feb. 6, 2024

Strayer's past research into multitasking and distracted driving associated with cellphone use has drawn national attention.

From Science Daily • Jan. 29, 2024

Contemporary traffic safety messaging that is focused on familiar problems like distracted driving is far less likely to do anything.

From Slate • Jan. 23, 2024

As part of a series about distracted driving, I’d written a front-page story about Reggie that appeared just a few weeks before the summit in Washington.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023