New research information indicates that there has been a surge in traffic deaths last year and now many are pointing fingers at more drivers using apps behind the wheel. Most people have witnessed somebody else at a red light who have been using their phone. Highway fatalities are the cause of any number of personal injury and wrongful death claims not just in San Diego but around California and the country.

Even videotaping, Snapchatting, checking an email, or reading an article on your phone at a red light, at a train stop, or somewhere else where you are still involved in a general flow of traffic could put you at risk of a significant accident. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that the biggest increase in highway fatalities occurred between 2014 and 2015.

The number of highway deaths was increased by 7.5% between those two years. Over the previous four decades, however, highway fatalities were on a steady decline, but that all turned around in 2015. A rising number of vehicle crashes have been associated with distracted driving. A driver who is not paying attention may be engaged in a wide variety of activities including; talking to another passenger in the car, changing the radio station or adjusting the GPS, looking at something on their phones or simply day dreaming and not paying attention to the road in front of them.

This can, unfortunately, lead to devastating distracted driving accidents and severe injuries. Anyone who has been injured in an accident like this needs to consult with an experienced attorney as soon as possible.