Here are brief summaries of recent articles on the topic of traffic deaths across the U.S. as well as in California.
- Newsweek reports that the U.S. experienced the highest one-year increase in traffic deaths in a half-century in 2015, with initial estimates indicating that 38,300 people were killed on U.S. roads. Briefly, the article goes on to note that neither the sheer number of miles driven nor a change in population appear to fully account for the increase in fatalities.
- An article in the Los Angeles Times began by noting essentially the same trend across the U.S., offering as one possible reason the recent decline in gas prices, resulting in more miles driven. The article continues by noting that California is no exception.
- The Sacramento Bee features the fact that deaths on California roads actually decreased a dramatic 36% between 2006 and 2010. Increased seat belt use, combined with improvements in vehicle safety such as airbags, were offered as possible factors for the decrease. Sadly, the article goes on to note that the trend then reversed, with deaths increasing by 13% between 2010 and 2013.
These articles, and others, offer several possible reasons for this sad trend. Distracted driving, including cell phone use and texting, are featured as likely contributors. Drugged driving, including increasing prescription drug usage among older drivers and increased marijuana usage, appear to play at least some role. Finally, general anger and rudeness were cited either in the articles themselves, or comments from readers.
While I agree that all of these factors play at least some role, in this article it is my intent to focus on another idea whose time I believe has come.
