There’s a troubling new trend in Kansas – traffic fatalities.
As the Wichita Eagle reports, through the end of May, there have been 174 traffic deaths across Kansas, according to AAA, representing a 13 percent increase over the same period from a year ago and a 44 percent jump from 2015. It is the most fatalities in the state through any May of the past five years.
A spokesperson with AAA said it works out to an average of one per day.
Last year’s traffic fatalities totaled 432, which was a 20 percent increase over 2015.
Several factors are blamed for the uptick in traffic-related deaths, according to AAA, including lower gas prices, prompting people to drive more. But many motorists aren’t wearing seat belts, either, and they are driving while distracted.
According to the AAA spokesperson, shorter attention spans can be attributed to not only texting, but the fact that many drivers get bored with simply driving, so they try to do other things at the same time.
