Stefan Mileschin

A rise in the use of smartphones in America might be behind a spike in the number of road deaths, according to a new report.

Deaths from traffic accidents in the United States jumped 8.1 percent in the first half of 2015 and the only reason anyone can think of is the increase in smartphone use.

Preliminary government statistics, released during a Thanksgiving holiday week known for heavy traffic congestion, showed deaths rising to 16,225 in the January-June period at a rate more than double an increase in overall driving spawned by falling petrol prices.

Mark Rosekind, who heads the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said the increase in smartphones in our hands is so significant, there’s no question that has to play some role. But we don’t have enough information yet to determine how big a role.

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