Grim, preventable statistics from the road

The fact that highway deaths in Connecticut are on the rise is discouraging. What is even more disheartening — and infuriating — is that at least some of these deaths are the result of distracted driving and of people not wearing seat belts.

At least some of these deaths are the result of distracted driving and of people not wearing seat belts.

Drivers cannot control every aspect of an outing in the car: poor visibility, hazardous road conditions or, of course, the actions of others.

But there are two factors a driver — and only the driver — have in their absolute control: fastening the seat belt upon sitting in the driver’s seat, and putting the cellphone out of reach.

So far, 172 people — four more than at this time last year — have died on state roads.

This continues a troubling trend: fatalities in Connecticut have been on the rise since 2014, according to figures from the Connecticut Crash Data Repository run by the University of Connecticut.

The 172 number is from the period Jan. 1 to July 29, 2017. In that same period in 2014, there were 139 fatalities.

State Police are rightly drumming home these grim numbers on message signs along I-95, I-84 and Merritt Parkway, in an effort to make drivers more aware of the perils of driving, especially without a seat belt and with attention diverted to a phone screen.

“Troopers have responded to countless crashes caused by distracted drivers, some of which have ended in fatalities,” said Colonel Alaric J. Fox, commanding officer of the State Police.

“The task of driving must have your full, undivided attention,” he added.

A best practice, Fox said, is to put the cellphone away at the beginning of a trip and take it out after arriving at the destination.

Of course reminders, graphic images and grim numbers are never enough to fully deter the self-centered drivers who feel they are entitled to behave as they please behind the wheel, uncaring that their cavalier behavior puts the rest of us at risk.

So, we applaud the State and local police for keeping the heat on with the “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” campaign to hit these clods where it hurts: in the pocketbook.

Fines for using a mobile phone while behind the wheel are $150 for the first offense, $300 for the second and $500 for three or more offenses.

The fine for not wearing a seat belt is $37. It should be more.

And it’s not just seat belts and cellphones that are causing the risk here. A National Safety Council survey released earlier this year found some startling opinions.

Sixty-four percent of poll participants said they were comfortable speeding; 13 percent were okay with driving after smoking marijuana, and 10 percent were okay with taking the wheel after having had too much to drink.

So, we reiterate to our law enforcement community, you folks have your work cut out for you.

And we encourage you to patrol our roads with zeal and with concern for lawabiding drivers.

State Police are rightly drumming home these grim numbers on message signs along I-95, I-84 and Merritt Parkway...