TRAFFIC FATALITIES

I could direct you to several articles that deal with this appalling phenomenon. After decades of decline, traffic deaths are up. Not just up, but WAY UP.

FOURTEEN POINT FOUR PERCENT, 14.4% INCREASE

Over the last two years. For perspective, there were 37,461 traffic deaths in 2016 versus 32,744 in 2014.

Key statistic within the statistics, the rate of deaths per million miles driven went up. 

SOME BACKGROUND

In 1950 when I was five years old, there were 150 million people in the US. There were 7.24 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.

By the 1970's, vehicles and roads started to really get better, seat belts being one of the big life savers, until in 2014 (population 315 million) the deaths per 100 million VMT was 1.08. In 2016, it climbed to 1.18.

Still pretty low, but why the increase?

SMART PHONES.

Yep, we all observe the car in front of us weaving, not pulling away from a light, slowing down or whatever, and most of the time, you peer into the car and see the driver with their eyes cast down to a smart phone.

Watch for legislated changes. For instance, you cannot drive and hold a hand-held phone in a lot of states (Maryland is one, I think) or other places, like military installations.

One that might happen? Your phone automatically shuts off when your car is running. We may look at "hands free" operation, Blue Tooth, etc. the same way we recall our kids standing on the front seat with us as we drove.

People, you cannot multi-task as well as you think you can. Please, don't talk on the phone or text while you drive, it is dangerous and all the people who get this blog mean a lot to me, so I want you to stick around. Take the call, if necessary, and ask to call them back. Be safe.