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I think I'm willing to chalk it up to bad fortune if I lost a loved-one in a fatal traffic accident where something unusual broke on a car or if road conditions changed suddenly, or someting like that. But if I lost a loved-one because the driver was on Facebook, I can't imagine the rage that would come from that.
It needs to be treated like DUI. And we have technology that makes phones useless by the driver (except through hands-free, voice activation). Akin to the Uber conversation, do you think this problem needs to be addressed through law and regulation?
Traffic fatalities on the rise as Americans drive more miles, text behind the wheel
It needs to be treated like DUI. And we have technology that makes phones useless by the driver (except through hands-free, voice activation). Akin to the Uber conversation, do you think this problem needs to be addressed through law and regulation?
New data from the National Safety Council found approximately 19,100 people were killed in crashes on U.S. roads during the first six months of the year, a 9 percent increase over the same period in 2015. That represents an 18 percent rise compared with the first six months of 2014.
The organization blames the increase on a combination of factors, including a stronger economy and lower gas prices, which cause people to drive more miles. There is also an alarming number of teenage drivers who are willing to use social media behind the wheel, the council found.
Because of these factors, the busy Labor Day weekend will likely be the deadliest on American roads since 2009, said Deborah Hersman, CEO of the National Safety Council.
"We cannot keep accepting these highway fatalities," Hersman said. "It would be the equivalent of two major plane crashes happening every week. Our hair would be on fire [if that happened]. We wouldn't accept that. Why do we accept it on highways?"
In a survey of more than 1,000 newly licensed drivers between the ages of 15 and 17, 35 percent said they would use social media when behind the wheel. Additionally, 21 percent admitted they would video chat and drive at the same time. Roughly 43 percent said they're willing to text and drive.
Traffic fatalities on the rise as Americans drive more miles, text behind the wheel