In a survey of 500 Baltimore-area drivers commissioned by The Travelers Companies, Inc., 82 percent of respondents said they use a mobile device while driving.

Some of the activities that drivers in the region admitted to engaging in while behind the wheel include:

• Reading texts or emails (51 percent).
• Updating or checking social media, such as Facebook or Twitter (26 percent).
• Shopping online (21 percent).
• Recording video (21 percent).

“Family obligations requiring attention or not wanting to miss something important were the top reasons Baltimore-area drivers gave for communicating on a mobile device while driving,” said Jessica Kearney, second vice president at The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of Travelers. “We know we're putting ourselves and others at risk by allowing mobile devices and other distractions to take our attention away from the road, yet this issue persists across the country.”

Baltimore residents are not alone, as mobile devices also continue to distract drivers nationwide. According to the 2019 Travelers Risk Index, a national survey of 2,000 consumers and executives, nearly 80 percent of consumers said they make or receive phone calls while driving, and more than 30 percent admitted to having been in a near-miss or crash because they were distracted. Many respondents said they continue these behaviors because it would be very difficult to stop or because they feel pressure to always be available for work.