Big Spike in Traffic Deaths

The biggest spike in traffic deaths in over 50 years has been linked to apps on motorist’s mobile devices. Although distracted driving is not a new phenomenon, modern applications on mobile phones make distracted driving more common. Snapchat, Waze, Pokemon Go, you name it, mobile apps impede a motorists ability to safely navigate the roads. For instance, snapchat allows users to post videos of themselves with the exact speed that they are going

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, highway deaths jumped 10.4% to 17,775 in 2016 compared to 2015. The rate of deaths from auto crashes decreased from 1975 to 2009, but the number of deaths caused by car crashes has actually increased in the last two years. Numerous cases have arose this year of people using snapchat and recording themselves driving just moments before a crash.

For example, in Tampa Fl, officers are investigating a crash where a passenger in a car recorded a snapchat video of the motorist driving at speeds in excess of 115 miles per hour. This incident in Florida is just one of the numerous incidents of snapping and driving throughout the country.