Texting while driving: how far do you travel in 5 seconds?

Concerns & risks

Your teen driver reads texts on the highway and thinks a few seconds don't matter.

Causes & evidence

NHTSA says that sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for about 5 seconds. At 55 mph, that's like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed. NHTSA's research found that 3,275 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2023. Distraction includes anything that takes your attention away from driving, such as texting, talking on the phone, eating, adjusting the navigation or talking with passengers, but texting is especially risky because it takes your eyes, hands and attention all at once. Most states ban texting while driving, and many restrict all phone use for new or young drivers, so check your state's law. NHTSA encourages parents to set clear rules and to model them.

Who this applies to: everyone who drives, but new drivers are at highest risk. Many states have graduated licensing rules that ban all phone use, including hands-free, for drivers under 18 or with learner's permits, and some ban hand-held use for all drivers. Penalties range from fines to points on your license. Employers may have their own phone rules for work driving.

Telling a teen not to text while you check your own phone at red lights undercuts every rule you set.

What to do

1. Agree on a family rule: phones go out of reach while the car is moving.
2. Turn on your phone's driving focus or do-not-disturb mode.
3. Pull over safely if a message really can't wait.
4. Set navigation and music before you start driving.
5. Model the same rules yourself every time you drive.

Common mistakes:

• Reading texts at red lights
• Holding the phone for navigation
• Making rules you don't follow yourself

ReportSpeedMan tip: Most phones can send an automatic reply while driving focus is on, so friends know why a reply is slow.

What I would actually do

I'd put the phone in the glove box or a bag behind the seat, set driving focus to turn on automatically when the phone connects to the car, and do the same thing my teen is asked to do.

The trade-off people miss: hands-free isn't the same as attention-free. Voice texting still pulls your mind away from the road, so the safest rule is to wait or pull over.

How to know it worked

Your phone stays out of reach on every drive.

Quick FAQ

Is voice texting safe?
It still distracts your mind from driving.

Are red lights okay?
No. You still need to watch traffic and signals.

What about passengers?
Passengers can handle navigation and messages for you.

Wrap-up: A single text takes your eyes off the road for about 5 seconds, roughly a football field at 55 mph. Put the phone away, use driving focus and lead by example.

Wiki: Kids and Screen Time and Sleep Basics and Insomnia.

Texting while driving: read the originals

• NHTSA: Distracted driving
• FCC: The dangers of distracted driving