Report: Traffic Deaths on the Rise Due to Tech Distractions

Traffic-related deaths are on the rise after an increase in technological distractions, according to a report by the New York Times.

Within the first six months of 2016, traffic deaths rose 10.4 percent from the previous year, with a recorded 17,775 incidents.

“This is a crisis that needs to be addressed now,” said National Highway Traffic Safety Administration head Mark R. Rosekind, who led the highway deaths report.

Last week, a Russian man narrowly escape injury after being hit by a car while he was being wheeled around a car park in an office chair and wearing a virtual reality headset.

Last month, however, five people were killed, including two children, after the driver recorded themselves going 115 miles per hour on Snapchat.

“This is a serious public safety concern for the nation,” said senior Vice President of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, Robert Gordon. “We are all trying to figure out to what extent this is the new normal.”

In October, the Obama administration set a goal to eliminate traffic fatalities in the United States within 30 years, citing the possibility of advanced technology for passenger protection, self-driving cars, and further campaigns about drunk and distracted driving.

Charlie Nash is a reporter for Breitbart Tech. You can follow him on Twitter @MrNashington or like his page at Facebook.