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Smartphones Are Killing Americans, But Nobody's Counting (bloomberg.com)
An anonymous reader shares a Bloomberg report: Over the past two years, after decades of declining deaths on the road, U.S. traffic fatalities surged by 14.4 percent. In 2016 alone, more than 100 people died every day in or near vehicles in America, the first time the country has passed that grim toll in a decade. Regulators, meanwhile, still have no good idea why crash-related deaths are spiking: People are driving longer distances but not tremendously so; total miles were up just 2.2 percent last year. Collectively, we seemed to be speeding and drinking a little more, but not much more than usual. Together, experts say these upticks don't explain the surge in road deaths. There are however three big clues, and they don't rest along the highway. One, as you may have guessed, is the substantial increase in smartphone use by U.S. drivers as they drive. From 2014 to 2016, the share of Americans who owned an iPhone, Android phone, or something comparable rose from 75 percent to 81 percent. The second is the changing way in which Americans use their phones while they drive. These days, we're pretty much done talking. Texting, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are the order of the day -- all activities that require far more attention than simply holding a gadget to your ear or responding to a disembodied voice. By 2015, almost 70 percent of Americans were using their phones to share photos and follow news events via social media. In just two additional years, that figure has jumped to 80 percent.
An article about people who drive like assholes - and think it's their god-given right - and you pop up.
Whodathunkit?
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
During my year in Houston, I saw a few incidents inside the 610 loop when someone would pull out a big ol' pistol and point it at another driver for offenses such as changing lanes or not going fast enough. Didn't see any of them discharge their weapons, though. However, on New Year's Eve, while walking the dog, I saw several trucks cruising down Almeda Rd and firing weapons into the air. My dog did not like it one bit, no sir. I had to drink about six shots of bourbon to get her to settle down.
I'm from Chicago, so the discharge of firearms does not generally upset me, but at least there I have a pretty sense of which people are likely to fire their weapons. In Houston, I had to assume that anyone could be carrying and fixing to unload a clip at any time, for any reason.
You are welcome on my lawn.
I might have to switch sides on the gun control debate if you try to ban my alcohol.