(MARKETWATCH) Because American drivers are logging increased mileage and some are texting while driving, about 9% more died in vehicle crashes in the first six months of 2016 than in the same stretch last year. That also means that the upcoming holiday weekend looks to be a bloody end to the summer.
Some 19,100 people were killed in autos in the first half of the year, said the National Safety Council in a report. It’s an even uglier trend; that figure is an 18% jump compared with two years ago.
The organization blames the increase on a combination of factors, including a stronger economy lining American wallets with more disposable income, and lower gas prices, which cause people to drive more miles.
