Phones Use May Have Contributed to Increase In U.S. Traffic Deaths

Yikes- traffic deaths were up 8.1% in the first half of 2015 and officials say smartphones could be to
blame.

According to Reuters, statistics released this weekend showed deaths rising to 16,225 between January and June. While the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says there's not enough information yet to determine how big of a role phones play in this data, Mark Rosekind says the increase in phone use is so significant that there's no question there's a connection.

The recent jump in fatalities follows a period in 2014 where traffic deaths were at a record low, the lowest in fact since 1975. The 2014 data included 21,022 passenger vehicle deaths.

The 2015 increase is the biggest six-month jump in traffic deaths since 1977. But the numbers could level out when the data for the rest of the year becomes available.

Besides cell phones, Rosekind says gas prices may have also contributed to the increase in traffic deaths. More affordable gas means "risky drivers" such as teenagers were driving more.

Study: Drivers Can't Concentrate on Turning Left While Talking on the Phone

The bottom is your brain on the phone.

Using a bluetooth or other hands-free device may make the physical act of turning left at an intersection easier to pull off when you're on the phone, but it doesn't make it any safer. That's because attempting to make a left turn at a busy intersection taxes the brain more than turning right or driving straight through. And having a conversation at the same time further impairs the brain's ability to focus on the road, according to new data published in "Frontiers of Human Neuroscience." Or, as researchers sum it up, "'Hands free' not does mean 'brains free.'" The Atlantic takes a closer look at this study.

Some New Hondas To Come With Siri

Like Siri in your Iphone? Well you may have her in your car soon. Honda says it will install Apple's Siri voice-activated telematics assistant into several of its 2013 models, so you can keep your hands on the wheel while Siri does the calling, texting and navigating.

Automotive News has the story.

New Mothers Confess To Dangerous Driving

While they're otherwise protective of their children, a new survey finds that new mothers talk on the phone and text or check e-mail at an alarming rate while driving with their babies in the car. The data shows 78 percent(!) of mothers with children under age 2 acknowledge talking on the phone while driving with their babies and 26 percent say they text or check their e-mail. And that distracted driving doesn't even take into account how many times they say they have to turn around to deal with their baby in the back seat while driving.

So how do they come out when the number of crashes new moms have been in are compared to the general population of drivers? Not very good. AZCentral takes a look.

Study Says Cellphone Ban Cuts Traffic Deaths In California

Since California passed a law forbidding the use of handheld phones while driving in 2008, the number of traffic deaths there has declined- by 22%! A study by the state Office of Traffic Safety, shows that the number of deaths related to talking on phones has dropped even more; 47%.

We have the same law here in Washington State, but I only know one person who's received a ticket for talking on the phone or texting, despite seeing dozens of people doing so each day. Why does California's law seem to work so well while ours doesn't appear to? Governor Jerry Brown says California's law is viewed as more effective than other states' because it is strictly enforced. Here's more on that study.

LaHood Doesn't Back Proposal to Prohibit All Phone Use Behind Wheel

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said yesterday he will not back a proposal to prohibit drivers from talking on cellphones, even hands-free devices.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) last week asked states to ban cellphones while driving.

LaHood has pushed to reduce driver distraction in the past but now says hands-free calling, such as using a headset or bluetooth, is not the big problem. Here's the story from Fox 2 in Detroit.