Texting Increases 30% During Holidays
People text and use apps while behind the wheel over 30% more during the winter holidays as compared with an average weekday, according to data collected and analyzed by TrueMotion, a smartphone telematics company.

Texting while driving increases about 30% during the holidays, a new report has found.
Photo via U.S. Air Force.
People text and use apps while behind the wheel over 30% more during the winter holidays as compared with an average weekday, according to data collected and analyzed by TrueMotion, a smartphone telematics company.
TrueMotion collects driving data using smartphone telematics and analyzes it with machine-learning algorithms.
From Nov. 18, 2017 to Jan. 3, the company collected and evaluated data from over 3,000 drivers in the U.S. who had downloaded and used TrueMotion's safety app. The findings indicate that motorists have more to be concerned about on the roadways at holiday time than just snow — distracted drivers could be an even greater danger.
While on an average weekday drivers spend approximately 9% of their time actively using their phones — texting, emailing, using social media — that figure jumps to 12% during the holidays, representing an increase of 33%.
Active phone use while driving was up nearly 50% on Thanksgiving compared to a typical weekday. Christmas saw the second highest increase with 33%. New Year's Eve was the lowest of the group, with a 26% bump.
The findings also showed that motorists tend to speed during the holidays as a well. While drivers speed approximately 25% of time on an average weekday, the app indicated they speed a whopping 45% of the time during the holidays.
Thanksgiving ranks first with drivers speeding 52% more compared to a regular weekday, followed by Christmas (44% more) and New Year's Day (40% more).
One positive finding: Despite texting and speeding more often during the holidays, drivers made fewer phone calls — whether handheld or hands-free — from behind the wheel. Compared to the average weekday, holiday road calls were down 45%.
More Safety
From Silos to Solutions: Relationship Management for Safer Fleets
From telematics adoption and driver accountability to policy consistency and risk mitigation, this episode breaks down what it really takes to build a safer fleet culture without slowing business down.
Read More →
IIHS Launches First Commercial Vehicle Safety Evaluations
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has begun evaluating heavy-duty pickups and cargo vans for driver protection. Which models earned top marks?
Read More →
Reducing Risk by Eliminating Phone Use Behind the Wheel
Hosted with the cofounder of Lifesaver Mobile, this episode addresses phone use behind the wheel and how to design a driving environment that actually helps prevents accidents.
Read More →
Cameras, Safety and Insurance: From Reactive Claims to Real-Time Prevention (Part 2 of 2)
Part Two: Commercial auto remains one of the most challenging and costly lines of coverage for fleet operators and insurers alike. Continue learning more about how to effectively address these issues from Onur Aksan, Enterprise Business Development Executive, Geotab
Read More →
How 5-Second Telematics Data Is Changing Fleet Safety
This episode connects with Steve Santostasi of Ford Pro and covers how a few seconds of data can make a difference in fleet safety.
Read More →
Managing Road Risk at Scale: Why Fleet Safety Needs a Data-Driven Framework
Insights from the FIA Road and Driver Safety Indexes reveal how to manage road risk on a larger scale.
Read More →
Stellantis Recalls 1.3 Million Jeep Vehicles Worldwide Over Fire Risk
Stellantis is recalling more than 1.3 million Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator models worldwide over a fire risk linked to power steering pump wiring.
Read More →
Coaching Is Not Training, Even When AI Is Doing It
AI-powered safety platforms can detect risky behaviors and deliver immediate feedback. But effective driver development still requires a foundation of training followed by coaching that reinforces those skills.
Read More →
How Emotions Behind the Wheel Can Affect Fleet Safety
During National Safety Month, fleets are encouraged to look beyond distracted driving and recognize how stress, fatigue, and emotional well-being influence driver performance and crash risk.
Read More →
Nominations Open for 2026 Fleet Safety Award
Nominations have officially opened for the 2026 Fleet Safety Award Winner.
Read More →
