Buckle Up, and Don't Speed, Drink, Toke, or Text

Car accidents, and related deaths and injuries, are way up, according to the latest data from the National Safety Council, who estimates 40,000 Americans were killed in vehicle crashes in 2016. This is a 6% increase over 2015, and a 14% increase over 2014; what they called "the most dramatic two-year escalation since 1964," before seat belts became standard equipment in 1968. Further estimates said 4.6 million people were injured seriously enough to require medical attention, and total costs were $432 billion.

The National Safety Council says texting while driving is among the causes:

• Leads to 1.6 million crashes each year.
• Causes nearly 330,000 injuries each year.
• Causes one out of every four accidents.
• Is six times more likely to cause an accident than driving drunk.
• Takes a driver's attention away for about five seconds, the time it takes to travel the length of a football field.

Be safe. Don't endanger others. Your text, reply or post can wait.