Distracted driving presents a major threat to all drivers on the road, whether or not they engage in the risky behavior themselves. According to the U.S Department of Transportation, distractions behind the wheel – such as using a smartphone, adjusting the radio, eating, drinking and using navigation systems – were responsible for at least 3,092 deaths and approximately 416,000 injuries in 2010, accounting for about 18 percent of injury crashes that year.

The most recent report on this risky behavior by State Farm indicates the problem may only be growing. The insurance agency's annual report indicates that surfing the web on a smartphone or other handheld device while driving is growing increasingly common.

In fact, among drivers between the ages of 18 and 29, the number of those who have gone online while driving jumped to 48 percent this year from 29 percent in 2009. Among all drivers this increase was a bit more subtle – 13 percent in 2009 to 21 percent in 2012. This indicates that safety advocates may need to target younger drivers to curb this dangerous behavior.

One major issue is that most drivers are aware of how risky it is to engage in any distracting behaviors while operating a vehicle, yet may still partake. The State Farm survey indicates many felt the issue was that distracted driving laws were not enforced well enough.

These days there are numerous options to reduce risky driving, such as in-car technology that allows drivers to pair their handheld devices with their vehicles and use voice commands to eliminate the desire to take their eyes off the road. There are even a number of used cars that have this feature, and car shoppers may be able to find models at New Jersey Auto Auction.