If you have left the house in the last few years, you have probably noticed the many people who bury their heads in their smartphones as they walk – even to cross the street.
Whether they’re busying playing Flappy Bird or tweeting about how President Donald Trump is LITERALLY HITLER, pedestrians seem indifferent about their lives if they are willing to cross a busy street without looking at both directions, or even if they are allowed to walk.
And it isn’t just pedestrians guilty of this odd behavior. Motorists are also too addicted to their phones to pay attention to the road.
This is ostensibly killing thousands, says a new report.
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), the number of people struck and killed by an automobile climbed to its highest level since 1990. The report estimates that 6,227 pedestrians were killed last year, an increase of 250 victims from the previous year.
Overall, pedestrian deaths have surged 41 percent in the last decade, and represent one-fifth of all traffic fatalities.
What’s going on?
The GHSA lists two factors: large vehicles (crossover utility cars, SUVs, and pickups) and smartphones.
From CNBC:
For starters, America’s growing love affair with pickups, SUVs, and crossover utility vehicles means pedestrians are being hit by bigger, heavier, and more powerful automobiles. As a result, pedestrians who are hit by vehicles are more likely to die or suffer life threatening injuries, the association said. Pedestrian fatalities involving SUVs jumped by 50 percent between 2013 and 2017, the GHSA estimates.
Another factor is the growing population in many states, which has lead to more deadly encounters between drivers and pedestrians. The GHSA report also blames people being distracted by their smartphones and not being focused on the road as contributing to pedestrian fatalities.
Add in a strong economy with relative cheap gas prompting more people to drive more miles and it’s a deadly recipe for people walking along or crossing streets.
The GHSA estimates five states — Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, and Texas — accounted for almost half the pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. in the first half of 2018. The report says New Mexico had the highest pedestrian fatality rate per 100,000 residents in the first half of last year while New Hampshire had the lowest fatality rate.
Put down that phone.
No one should want to live in a police state, but resisting tyranny gives some people a reason for living.