Drivers tend to take small risks that feel harmless, such as glancing at a screen, checking a notification, or sending a quick message. Yet the reality behind distracted driving paints a far more serious picture. Texting while driving contributes to an estimated 1.6 million crashes each year in the United States, while distracted driving claimed 3,142 lives in 2022 alone. Yet the gap between behavior and accountability remains striking. Around 70% of drivers admit they have texted while driving, while many also say they would make a different choice if stronger enforcement came into play.
For Fletcher Cleaves, those numbers have never been abstract. As a speaker, advocate, author, and community leader, Cleaves views every statistic as a reflection of a life interrupted, with someone's future, family, and dreams potentially altered forever. "Through my work, I encourage people to look beyond the data and recognize the human stories behind distracted driving," he says. "I hope those stories inspire choices that protect others long before a phone is ever picked up."
