New Data from Root Insurance Shows Americans Spend 11% of Drive Time on Phones, with Gen Z Twice as Distracted as Baby Boomers

Core Insights - Root Insurance released its 2025 Focused Driving Report, highlighting the dangers of distracted driving, which claims over 3,200 lives annually in the U.S. [1][2] - The report analyzed over 1.3 billion miles of driving data, revealing that U.S. drivers are distracted by their phones for nearly 11% of the time while driving [2][6] Geographic Differences - Oregon, Washington, and West Virginia are identified as the most focused states, while Louisiana, Mississippi, and Illinois are the most distracted [8] - Portland, Oregon, is the most focused metro area with a distraction rate of 8.74%, whereas New Orleans, Louisiana, is the most distracted at 15.20%, with drivers picking up their phones nearly 7 times more per 100 miles than those in Portland [8] Generational Insights - Gen Z drivers use their phones nearly twice as often (14.78%) compared to Baby Boomers (6.34%) while driving [8] Time of Day Analysis - The least distracted hour is 5:00 a.m. (7.16%), while the highest phone use occurs at 7:00 p.m. (11.65%) [8] Survey Insights - 86% of drivers reported texting while driving as the most common distraction, followed by social media use (77%) and handheld phone calls (75%) [8] - Nearly half (46%) of drivers admitted to a close call or accident due to distraction, with 60% changing their driving behavior afterward [8] - 72% of respondents indicated they would be less likely to use their phones while driving if their insurance rates reflected their focus behind the wheel [8] Company Overview - Root, Inc., founded in 2015, utilizes data science and technology to personalize car insurance, with over 15 million app downloads and more than 31 billion miles of driving data collected [9]