Mobile device safety spans battery fire hazards, driving behavior, radiofrequency exposure, physical durability and end-of-life practices. The figures below cover US and international measurements from 2006 through 2025, with each statistic defined by its source, population and measurement period.
Key Mobile Device Safety Statistics
These are the most useful high-level figures across the different safety dimensions:
- In 2023, 61 lithium-battery incidents were known to the FAA on passenger aircraft.
- In the prior full year described by the FAA, 89 lithium-battery incidents were recorded on passenger and cargo aircraft.
- From 2012–2019, 4,967,453 lithium-ion battery products were recalled in US CPSC records.
- From 2012–2019, cell phones made up 38.9% of recalled lithium-ion battery products in the US dataset.
- In a December 5, 2025 US recall, about 210,000 INIU 10,000mAh power banks were covered.
- Through that recall notice, 15 overheating reports were associated with the recalled INIU power banks.
- In 2011, 68.7% of US drivers ages 18–64 reported talking on a cell phone while driving at least once in the prior 30 days.
- In 2011, 31.2% of US drivers ages 18–64 reported reading or sending a text or email while driving in the prior 30 days.
- In 2021, 3,522 US traffic fatalities were attributed to distracted driving.
- In 2021, distracted-driving fatalities represented 8% of all US traffic fatalities.
- In 2019, 9% of US drivers ages 15–20 involved in fatal crashes were distracted.
- In 2019, 39% of US high-school students who drove reported texting or emailing while driving in the prior 30 days.
- In 2017, 59.3% of US 12th-grade student drivers reported texting or emailing while driving in the prior 30 days.
- For the general public near base stations, WHO reports RF exposure at about 0.002%–2% of international guideline levels.
- In WHO’s review summary, the only identified health effect at very high RF intensity was a body-temperature increase greater than 1°C.
- Apple reported more than 10,000 repair providers worldwide in its 2025 environmental reporting.
- Apple reported 70% lower greenhouse-gas emissions per back-glass repair for iPhone 15 than iPhone 14 Pro.
- Apple reported responsible recycling programs in 99% of countries where it sells products.
Contents
- Mobile device safety statistics for lithium-battery incidents in air travel
- Recalled phones, power banks and other lithium-ion products
- Phone use and distracted-driving statistics
- Teen and young-driver mobile safety data
- Radiofrequency exposure and health evidence
- Repairability, durability and recycling statistics
Mobile Device Safety Statistics for Lithium-Battery Incidents in Air Travel
The FAA series counts incidents involving smoke, fire or heat known to the agency on passenger aircraft. It is not a complete listing, and the FAA notes that collection methods changed over time, so the counts should not be treated as a rate per flight.
| Year | Known incidents | Geography and definition |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 5 | Passenger aircraft tracked by FAA |
| 2008 | 5 | Passenger aircraft tracked by FAA |
| 2012 | 3 | Passenger aircraft tracked by FAA |
| 2013 | 2 | Passenger aircraft tracked by FAA |
| 2014 | 6 | Passenger aircraft tracked by FAA |
| 2015 | 10 | Passenger aircraft tracked by FAA |
| 2016 | 27 | Passenger aircraft tracked by FAA |
| 2017 | 32 | Passenger aircraft tracked by FAA |
| 2018 | 30 | Passenger aircraft tracked by FAA |
| 2019 | 32 | Passenger aircraft tracked by FAA |
| 2020 | 28 | Passenger aircraft tracked by FAA |
| 2021 | 45 | Passenger aircraft tracked by FAA |
| 2022 | 63 | Passenger aircraft tracked by FAA |
| 2023 | 61 | Passenger aircraft tracked by FAA |
A separate FAA article reported 38 verified incidents through June 30 of the report year involving smoke, fire or extreme heat on passenger and cargo aircraft. The same article described 89 incidents in the prior full year, a record in the agency’s account; these are agency-known incidents rather than a complete census.
Source: FAA, On the Case: Preventing Lithium Battery Hazards.
Recalled Phones, Power Banks and Other Lithium-Ion Products
Recall data measures products formally recalled, not the safety rate of all devices sold or used. The CPSC recorded 4,967,453 recalled lithium-ion battery products from 2012–2019 in the United States.
| Product category | Share of recalled lithium-ion products, 2012–2019 |
|---|---|
| Cell phones | 38.9% |
| Laptops | 13.2% |
| Power banks | 10.8% |
| Hoverboards | 10.5% |
| Speakers | 8.5% |
| Tablets | 1.7% |
| Battery backup/UPS | 0.1% |
Source: CPSC, High Energy Density Batteries Status Memo FY20. These are shares within the cited recall dataset, not population-risk estimates.
A later example shows how a single product recall can combine a large affected population with documented harm. A December 5, 2025 CPSC notice covered about 210,000 INIU 10,000mAh power banks in the US consumer market, involving 15 reports of overheating and more than $380,000 in reported property damage; the notice’s damage total was not independently audited.
Source: CPSC, INIU Recalls Power Banks Due to Fire and Burn Hazards; Sold on Amazon.
Phone Use and Distracted-Driving Statistics
The CDC’s 2011 comparison used self-reported behavior among drivers ages 18–64 and asked about the prior 30 days. In the United States, 68.7% reported talking on a cell phone while driving, while 31.2% reported reading or sending a text or email while driving.
Across the eight-country comparison, reported talking while driving ranged from 20.5% in the UK to 59.4% in Portugal, with the broader stated range running from 21% to 69%. Reported texting or emailing ranged from 15.1% in Spain to 31.3% in Portugal, corresponding to the stated cross-country range of 15% to 31%.
| Measure, 2011 | Lower reported country figure | Higher reported country figure |
|---|---|---|
| Talking while driving | UK: 20.5% | Portugal: 59.4% |
| Texting/emailing while driving | Spain: 15.1% | Portugal: 31.3% |
Source: CDC, Mobile Device Use While Driving — United States and Seven European Countries, 2011. These are past-30-day survey estimates, not current universal behavior rates.
Crash outcomes provide a different measurement lens. NHTSA estimated that distracted driving contributed to 3,522 US traffic fatalities in 2021, or 8% of all US traffic fatalities that year; distraction is difficult to identify consistently after crashes, so the estimate may undercount the true total.
Source: NHTSA, Distraction-Related Traffic Fatalities and Serious Injuries.
The same NHTSA table reports 43 confirmed distraction-related fatalities in 2019, 61 in 2020 and 56 in 2021 in the cited jurisdiction. Confirmed serious injuries rose 2%, from 347 in 2020 to 354 in 2021, with underreporting noted for confirmed distraction cases.
Teen and Young-Driver Mobile Safety Data
Teen measures combine crash records with school surveys, so they describe different populations. In 2019, 9% of US drivers ages 15–20 involved in fatal crashes were distracted, while 39% of US high-school students who drove reported texting or emailing while driving in the prior 30 days.
Among US student drivers in 2017, the reported prevalence was 39.2%. The CDC estimates varied by race and ethnicity and by grade:
| 2017 subgroup of US student drivers | Texted or emailed while driving |
|---|---|
| White students | 43.9% |
| Black students | 26.9% |
| Hispanic students | 36.6% |
| 9th grade | 12.9% |
| 10th grade | 24.5% |
| 11th grade | 45.5% |
| 12th grade | 59.3% |
Source: CDC, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance — United States, 2017. The figures are self-reported and apply to students who drove, not all teenagers.
Radiofrequency Exposure and Health Evidence
WHO distinguishes exposure from health outcome evidence and separates base-station exposure from mobile-phone exposure. For the general public near base stations, WHO reports RF exposure at about 0.002% to 2% of international guideline levels, with variation according to antenna proximity and the surrounding environment.
WHO’s review summary identifies a body-temperature increase greater than 1°C as the only health effect identified at very high RF field intensity. The agency described those intensities as occurring only in certain industrial facilities, not as ordinary public exposure conditions.
The cited WHO summary also says mobile-phone experimental RF exposures in the referenced studies were about 1,000 times higher than general-public exposure from base stations or wireless networks. WHO reported more than $250 million in EMF research funding over the preceding 10 years, which is a research-resource measure rather than a health outcome.
Sources: WHO, Radiation and health: wireless technologies and WHO, Radiation: Electromagnetic fields. These statements do not establish a single numeric cancer-risk estimate.
Repairability, Durability and Recycling Statistics
Repair access and product durability are additional parts of mobile-device safety because they affect how long devices remain usable and how damaged products are handled. Apple reported more than 10,000 Independent Repair Providers and Apple Authorized Service Providers worldwide in its 2025 environmental reporting.
Apple also reported responsible recycling programs in 99% of the countries where it sells products. That figure describes program availability, not the measured volume of devices or batteries recycled.
| Product or repair measure | Reported result | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 15 back-glass repair emissions | 70% lower per repair | Compared with iPhone 14 Pro |
| iPhone 7 and iPhone X water testing | IP67; up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes | Controlled laboratory testing |
| iPhone 13 and iPhone 15 water testing | IP68; iPhone 15 tested up to 6 meters for up to 30 minutes | Controlled laboratory testing |
Sources: Apple, 2025 Environmental Progress Report and Apple, 2024 Environmental Progress Report.
The IP67 and IP68 results are controlled tests rather than permanent guarantees: Apple notes that water resistance can decrease with wear, and liquid damage is not covered by warranty. The 70% emissions comparison applies specifically to back-glass repair and is an Apple life-cycle-assessment result, while the provider and recycling figures are company-reported.