Lower gas prices contribute to spike in US roadway fatalities

Reporter: Corey Lazar
Published:

FORT MYERS, Fla. – More people are dying on United States roads, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which points to the more than 35,000 killed in car crashes in 2015.

The number of roadway fatalities represents a 7.2 percent spike in deaths from 2014 — that spike is the highest recorded since 1966.

If you ask Southwest Florida drivers their thoughts on what is causing fatal wrecks, they’ll give you a litany of answers: people putting on their makeup or not paying attention, driving in a hurry and texting while driving.

Experts said there isn’t just one factor, but texting while driving is believed to be a huge danger on the roads. Another factor in increased car deaths is the cheaper price of gas, which is encouraging more people to get behind the wheel.

The death spike is so bad that the government has issued an unprecedented call to acting in an effort to prevent more people from dying.

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