The auto safety agency expects to unveil a program next year to target $500 million in federal safety grants at human factors that are responsible for 94 percent of motor vehicle crashes.
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Deaths from traffic accidents in the United States jumped 8.1 percent in the first half of 2015 and the only reason anyone can think of is the increase in smartphone use. That would be an increase of more than 300,000 people over previous year, and the most travelers since 2007.
Despite a slight decline in traffic deaths during 2014, the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced there is a need to reinvigorate the fight against deadly behavior on America’s roads after the first six months of this year saw an increase in estimated fatalities.
NY City police said a postal worker bumped into and spit on a Muslim woman with an infant before threatening to burn down her place of worship.
“The increase in smartphones in our hands is so significant, there’s no question that has to play some role”, said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind in a Tuesday media conference call. He urged people to stop using their phones while driving, not to drink alcohol or use drugs and get behind the wheel, and to wear seat belts and motorcycle helmets. Last year smartphones were around and there was a decline in annual traffic deaths to 32,675 last year. But he said that since driver distractions are hard to track, “our numbers underestimated exactly what’s going on out there”. The fatality rate fell to a record low of 1.07 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
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Drunken driving continued to cause about one-third of all traffic deaths in 2014, with 9,967 people killed. After that, safety experts will meet in Washington, D.C., to come up with an action plan, Rosekind said.
