Dramatizations shown throughout. Do not attempt.
In 2018, police reports showed that 8 people are killed in distracted driving crashes every day.1
Driver distraction is a major factor in the cause of vehicle crashes. One 2016 study found that 68% of all crashes involved a secondary, distracted activity.2 Activities that are particularly risky include texting and dialing from your handheld phone and even reaching for an object in the car. At GM we look at safety holistically, to help keep you and your family focused on the road.
What We Know
Trusted research from safety leaders and government organizations helps us to understand the dangers and causes of distracted driving.
Distracted driving is NOT safe driving
Police report distracted driving in crashes associated with 3,142 fatalities in 2019.3
2 seconds? That’s too long
Even a two second-long glance off the road can double the risk of a crash or a close call.4
6X increase in crash risk when texting with a hand-held phone
Texting on your hand-held phone takes your eyes off the road and increases the risk of a crash by 6X, according to a 2016 study.5
We want to see the number of distraction-related fatalities go down this year, and every year to come.
How GM Helps
Our holistic approach to safety is how we are trying to address distracted driving through research, technology and advocacy.
Technology & Research
GM Distracted Driving Lab
In-vehicle apps6, available on select GM models, are designed with safety in mind to enable drivers to use in-vehicle technology.
Use of voice
Most 2022 GM models offer natural voice recognition to help prevent drivers from taking their eyes off the road, including available integration with Amazon Alexa7 for podcasts, news and music.
Hands-free calling
All GM vehicles offer Bluetooth®8 for hands-free calling.
Safety or driver assistance features are no substitute for the driver’s responsibility to operate the vehicle in a safe manner. The driver should remain attentive to traffic, surroundings and road conditions at all times. Visibility, weather and road conditions may affect feature performance. Read the vehicle’s Owner Manual for more important feature limitations and information.
Advocacy
GM works with nonprofit organizations to help raise awareness and educate on the various risks associated with distracted driving.
Two thirds
of GM’s vehicle and road safety nonprofit grantees are working to help combat distracted driving.11
Project Look Out
A campaign to help stop distracted driving from The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and made possible through grant funding from GM.12
615,000+
youth impacted through road safety campaigns designed with DoSomething.org to help decrease the number of crashes related to risky road behaviors including texting and driving.11
1.6 million
Since 2016, our social investments to help end distracted driving have impacted 1.6M individuals.11
A vision of zero crashes
GM is committed to helping create a future with zero crashes.
Get the full story
GM looks at safety from a variety of angles. That’s why we’ve created an ongoing series of infographics that explore many aspects of road safety and what GM is doing to advance a safe world for all.
- Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Source: Dingus 2016 / VTTI
- Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Source: Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
- Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- Available on select 2017 model year and newer GM vehicles with compatible hardware. Third-party trademarks are the property of their respective third-party owners and used under agreement. Requires active service plan and paid AT&T vehicle data plan. See onstar.com for details and limitations.
- Functionality is subject to limitations and varies by vehicle, infotainment system and location. Select service plan required. Certain Alexa Skills require account linking to use. Amazon, Alexa and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. Or its affiliates. See onstar.com for additional details.
- The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such marks by General Motors is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.
- Vehicle user interface is a product of Apple® and its terms and privacy statements apply. Requires compatible iPhone® and data plan rates apply. Apple CarPlay, Siri, iPhone and Apple Music are trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
- Vehicle user interface is a product of Google, and its terms and privacy statements apply. Requires the Android Auto app on. Google Play and a compatible Android™ smartphone. Data plan rates apply. You can check which smartphones are compatible at g.co/androidauto/requirements. Android Auto is a trademark of Google LLC.
- Source: General Motors
- Source: General Motors & Harvard University
- U.S. and Canada only. Available on select Apple and Android devices. Service coverage varies with conditions and location. Service availability, features and functionality vary by device and software version. Device permissions are required for app to operate properly. OnStar links to emergency services. Device and app may not transmit all crash data. Mobile Crash Response services are intended for use in vehicles only and can connect automatically on Android devices only. Roadside Assistance: Roadside services provided by Allstate Roadside Services for vehicles only. Limitations and restrictions apply. Towing services have additional fees. Emergency-Certified Advisors are certified by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch. Location Status: Service is designed to locate compatible smartphones. Functionality varies by mobile device and plan. Data rates may apply. See onstar.com for details and limitations.