text: One of the main reasons for car wrecks in the United States is not driving under the influence or speeding. The main cause for car wrecks in America is distracted driving. People don't realize how easily a person could get in a car wreck. Looking at a text or notification on your phone could take your eyes off the road for almost 5 seconds. 5 seconds doesn't sound like a lot of time but it really doesn't even take a full second for a car wreck to actually happen.