SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Utah has the seventh-highest rate of phone-related fatal car crashes in the nation, according to a study done by Zinda Law Group.

The personal injury law firm studied all 50 states to determine the total number of fatal vehicle crashes between 2017 and 2021, as well as the number of occupants involved in fatal crashes caused by mobile phones in that same period.

Those findings were then converted into a percentage for each state to show how much mobile phones contributed to the total amount of fatal crashes. Factors, according to the study, included drivers being distracted by listening, talking, or generally being on their phones.

The results showed that from 2017-2021, Utah had 35 people involved in fatal crashes caused by mobile phones, and 1,258 total fatal crashes. That means that nearly 3% of fatal crashes in Utah were caused by mobile phone usage, according to the study.

Utah ranked number seven nationally behind Montana, Vermont, Minnesota, Kansas, North Dakota, and the state with the most phone-related fatal crashes — Wyoming.

“It is extremely sad to see the number of fatal vehicle crashes that could have been prevented had the occupants not been using their mobile phones or distracting the driver as a passenger,” a spokesperson for Zinda Law Group said. “We hope that these figures highlight why it is so important to keep phones out of reach when driving or to find a solution that will minimize distraction, alongside ensuring passengers do not distract their drivers on the roads.”