Driver's seat

I usually try to bring good news or interesting and unnoticed details about transportation, but today the topic is about vehicle wrecks and deaths on highways in the eight-county Beaumont district.

The figures are sobering.

In 2014, we had more than 11,500 wrecks in the district. That's nearly the entire population of Lumberton involved in some kind of vehicle crash.

Things get worse.

Fatalities in the wrecks also spiked. Last year was the worst in the last three years in terms of deaths and deadly crashes on area highways, roads and city streets.

A total 127 people died in crashes in 2014, and that number may increase as the final crash reports are filed. The number of fatal crashes increased. There were 118 fatal crashes in 2014. Compare that with 88 deadly wrecks in 2013 and 103 fatal crashes in both 2012 and 2011.

So, why the increase?

It's a question Texas Department of Transportation and law enforcement officials are trying to answer, but it's never easy to understand it. What we do know is the surge in crashes, fatalities and fatal crashes began in May 2014.

Crash investigators also found that about a third of them took place at intersections and in rural areas. About 20 percent were single vehicle crashes. Distracted driving such as talking on the phone or texting also was a major factor in all crashes, great or small. However, the numbers are harder to pin down because many drivers will not admit to being on a phone to a crash investigator. My guess, and that of many police officers, is that the number is probably much higher.

In terms of fatalities, 70 of the 127 people killed last year died in wrecks in the rural parts of our area. Alcohol was a factor in a third of all deadly crashes. Another 438 were injured because of someone drinking or using drugs and driving.

Distracted driving was a reason 14 people lost their lives. And some people still won't use seat belts.

Perhaps because 30 people died last year because they were not strapped in will cause someone else to buckle up.

Here are the simple fixes that any motorist can achieve:

n Put down the cell phone.

n Do not drink and drive.

n Pay attention at intersections.

n Be particularly careful in rural areas.

Everything else can wait until you arrive safely at your destination.