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U.S. Traffic Fatalities Continued to Surge in First Half of 2016
The Wall Street Journal ^ | August 23, 2016 | Beckie Strum

Posted on 08/24/2016 8:06:12 AM PDT by KeyLargo

U.S. Traffic Fatalities Continued to Surge in First Half of 2016

Deaths rose 9%, extending a trend that began two years ago as the economy improved and travel increased Traffic fatalities were up 9% in the first six months of this year compared with the same period last year.

By Beckie Strum

Traffic fatalities rose 9% in the first six months of 2016, compared with a year earlier, as a stronger economy and falling gas prices encouraged Americans to spend more time behind the wheel, the National Safety Council said on Tuesday.

Traffic fatalities have been trending upward since 2014, when the price of gasoline plummeted and a strengthening economy spurred more travel. The average price at the pump has dropped more than a $1.30 per gallon, or 35%, since this time two years ago, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

States including Vermont, Oregon and New Hampshire have been particularly deadly since the upward trend started in 2014, according to preliminary estimates compiled by the NSC, an Illinois-based nonprofit that collects data from state authorities.

Deaths on the road nearly doubled in tiny Vermont, population 620,000. The state recorded an 82% increase this year compared with the first six months of 2014.

Vermont is so small that even one bad crash can send its year-over-year change skyrocketing, said Scott Davidson, chief of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. It had 57 fatal accidents in 2015, he said. “If I have a bus crash, my numbers go through the roof,” said Mr. Davidson.

In most states, Vermont included, people are simply driving more, leading to more crashes, Mr. Davidson said. “Nationally, there’s just more miles being traveled,” he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: accidents; banglist; cars; crash; crashes; dangerous; deaths; democrats; guncontrol; guns; highway; safety; secondamendment; texting; vehicles; vehiclse
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To: KeyLargo

Automate driving.

They are making great progress. But we need more, sooner than later. Take humans out of the equation and free them to text and play pokemon.


21 posted on 08/24/2016 8:41:36 AM PDT by DannyTN
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To: KeyLargo

Cell phones.


22 posted on 08/24/2016 8:43:02 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: Moonman62
It can't just be the result of more auto travel. I'm sure Vermont hasn't seen an 82% increase in traffic over the last few years.

Interestingly, some places saw higher fatality rates with LESS traffic a few years ago. Traffic fatality rates in New York City, for example, are generally very low because the city is so congested and it's almost impossible to lose your life in a crash during most of the day even if you're trying to kill yourself. NYC saw a spike in fatality rates a few years ago when traffic volumes declined.

23 posted on 08/24/2016 8:44:00 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("Sometimes I feel like I've been tied to the whipping post.")
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To: DannyTN

I predict that it will be at least 50 years before cars are fully automated — if we ever even get to that point.


24 posted on 08/24/2016 8:45:46 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("Sometimes I feel like I've been tied to the whipping post.")
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To: Alberta's Child

It can’t just be the result of more auto travel. I’m sure Vermont hasn’t seen an 82% increase in traffic over the last few years.

...

The article offers a plausible explanation for Vermont, too.


25 posted on 08/24/2016 8:52:09 AM PDT by Moonman62 (Make America Great Again!)
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To: Moonman62

What’s the explanation they gave? I don’t have a WSJ subscription to read the full article.


26 posted on 08/24/2016 8:56:16 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("Sometimes I feel like I've been tied to the whipping post.")
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To: txrefugee

Something I noticed in my diverse area is that black people and other minorities are under no obligation to drive safely, signal, or use any type of courtesy or responsibility while driving.

Rules no longer apply to them, and they know it.

Freeways: It’s a black world now.


27 posted on 08/24/2016 8:58:53 AM PDT by T-Bone Texan (Don't be a lone wolf. Form up small leaderlesss cells ASAP !)
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To: ilovesarah2012

video:

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/shocking-videos-show-teen-drivers-moments-crash-29917238


28 posted on 08/24/2016 9:00:56 AM PDT by KeyLargo
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To: Alberta's Child

If it happens before 50 years you owe me a coke, and 50 or later I owe you one.


29 posted on 08/24/2016 9:02:20 AM PDT by DannyTN
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To: Alberta's Child

It’s in the excerpt.


30 posted on 08/24/2016 9:02:44 AM PDT by Moonman62 (Make America Great Again!)
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To: KeyLargo

You laugh, but if cars were a new invention the general public would never be allowed to touch a steering wheel. :)


31 posted on 08/24/2016 9:04:14 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
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To: DannyTN
You're on. LOL.

I'll be thankful just to live long enough to collect on that bet!

32 posted on 08/24/2016 9:04:14 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("Sometimes I feel like I've been tied to the whipping post.")
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To: Moonman62

Oh, OK. That seems more like speculation than an actual explanation.


33 posted on 08/24/2016 9:07:13 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("Sometimes I feel like I've been tied to the whipping post.")
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To: KeyLargo

Legalizing marijuana. More potheads on the road.


34 posted on 08/24/2016 9:12:14 AM PDT by Signalman
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To: KeyLargo
Self driving cars can't come soon enough. I know that technology will never be perfect but think it will be much safer than what we are seeing now.

I don't think we are going to put this text & driving thing back in the bottle. They will soon have tiny monitors built into sunglasses and keyboard strips attached to steering wheels. Think I'm kidding? It's coming.

It will be almost impossible to determine that a driver is distracted by texting, reading emails, streaming a sporting event live, watching a Netflix video, etc.

35 posted on 08/24/2016 9:12:16 AM PDT by SamAdams76 (It is a wise man who rules by the polls but it is a fool who is ruled by them)
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To: KeyLargo
Bush's fault.

Global warming.

Trump's candidacy.

White men.

Straight individuals.

Christians...


Ramirez's latest political cartoon LARGE VERSION
08/21/2016: LINK  LINK to regular sized version of Ramirez's latest, and an archive of his political cartoons.

In this political cartoon, Ramirez presents, "Obama's Disaster"


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36 posted on 08/24/2016 9:14:47 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (He wins & we do, our nation does, the world does. It's morning in America again. You are living it!)
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To: KeyLargo

I find it interesting, along with funny, to see the Wall Street Journal base it’s information to lead their readers to interpret a state of 620K people to answer for the same topic all over the country. That amount of people could easily fit in any of the major city suburbs in the US. They need to broaden their spectrum or just shut up trying to mislead the public with “guesses.” This is why the major news suppliers like the NY Times, all the way to the San Jose Mercury News, are in trouble with circulation. They can’t be trusted. And only too slowly, the public is catching on.

red


37 posted on 08/24/2016 9:15:55 AM PDT by Redwood71
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To: KeyLargo

Too many illegals on the road. They don’t know how to drive.


38 posted on 08/24/2016 9:16:17 AM PDT by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: KeyLargo

Especially those black ones with full auto assault tranny’s.


39 posted on 08/24/2016 9:17:08 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ (Poo poo the polls at Trump's peril.)
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To: FoxInSocks

Winner!


40 posted on 08/24/2016 9:19:22 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ (Poo poo the polls at Trump's peril.)
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