Road traffic has become global concern due to the higher number of crashes occurrences and severity. According to World Health Organization (WHO), 93% of road fatalities were in developing and least developed countries, especially distracted driving, which contributed 40%. Thus, this study explores the research on distracted driving behaviour in developing and least developed countries, focusing on its background and impact on traffic safety. Data mining was used to collect 3,101 papers from the Web of Science (WoS) database between 1995 and 2023. The results demonstrate the need to investigate technology-based distraction, behavioural adaptations, and impact assessments under heterogeneous traffic conditions. In order to develop targeted mitigations and strategies for reducing risks and improving overall traffic safety. This study provides an insightful understanding of current situation of distracted driving issue in terms of impact. It is important for researchers and related agencies to identify the way forward in research planning and to propose countermeasures in reducing road traffic crashes related to distracted drivers.