According to an article by Jonathan M. Gitlin of Ars Technica in conjunction with infographics provided by Safewise, vehicles are becoming safer, but the death toll on US roads continues to rise at alarming rates. What is to blame? Drivers, and they’re increasingly distracted. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calculates that 97 percent of all fatal crashes are due to human error,” says Gitlin. And distracted driving is undoubtedly one of those factors.
One of the reports examined came from NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Report System (FARS), which compiles data collected from smartphone apps and driver/company surveys.
Gitlin writes, “Safewise looked at FARS data for 2016 (the most recent year with complete data) to investigate the prevalence of distracted driving. It found that nine percent of all road fatalities, and six percent of driver fatalities, were cause by distracted driving and that the total number of deaths had increased by 14 percent in just two years.” Data was then broken down by state.
The following infographics break down the number of tickets issued for texting and driving by state and deadliest and safest states for car crashes:
Although the studies factor in much more than just cell phone usage, it is clear that regardless of the campaigns and legislation put in place to deter distracted drivers, distracted driving has not improved. Be vigilant and stay alert!
See the full article below.