Motor vehicle deaths have shot up in Illinois and across the nation for the second year in a row, and a national safety organization blames the ongoing plague of speeding and drunken and distracted driving, combined with the presence of more cars on the road.

The Wednesday report by the Itasca-based National Safety Council found that the number of motor vehicle deaths went up 6 percent nationally in 2016 compared with 2015 for a total of 40,200, the first time the total has exceeded 40,000 since 2007, according to preliminary estimates.

This is the second consecutive year in which the nation has seen a substantial jump in motor vehicle deaths – the two-year incline was the steepest in 53 years, the report found. The total for 2015 was 37,757, a 7 percent increase from 2014, while the 2014 figure was less than half a percent higher than the 2013 total.

The number of vehicle miles traveled increased just 3 percent in 2016 from 2015 – so the fact that the improved economy and lower gas prices are putting more cars on the roads cannot totally explain the increased loss of life, said Deborah Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. She noted that deaths continue to rise despite improved automotive safety technology like air bags, safety campaigns and tougher seat belt and drunken driving laws.

All of the 2016 data has not yet been analyzed, but 2015 data showed increases in distraction- and speed-related fatalities, a rise in deaths among unbelted occupants as well as teen drivers and other road users like pedestrians and bicyclists, Hersman said.

"We've become complacent as a society," said Hersman at a news conference. "Many times people act like there's nothing we can do to prevent these crashes."

Hersman cited a recent poll of 2,000 U.S. drivers, conducted by the Council. Though 83 percent said they were concerned about driving safety, 10 percent admitted to driving drunk in the past three months. Another 47 percent felt it was safe to send text messages, 25 percent were comfortable speeding on residential streets and 16 percent do not buckle up on every trip.

A fatal car crash on the northbound lane of Lake Shore Drive just south of Belmont Avenue in Chicago split a Honda into three pieces Oct. 23, 2016.

(Nancy Stone)

"Where is our outrage over losing over 100 people every day on our roadways?" Hersman asked. She compared the total number of 2016 deaths to the sinking of 11 Titanics, or the number of fans at Wrigley Field during a Cubs playoff game. "We know what to do, we just need to do it."

In Illinois, motor vehicle deaths were up 6 percent in 2016 from 2015 and 18 percent from 2014.

About 3,000 deaths annually are blamed on distracted driving -- though Hersman said the number is underreported because of the difficulty of proving someone was using a phone before a crash.

Mike Kellenyi, a founder of the New Jersey-based People Against Distracted Driving, believes crashes tied to "driving under the influence of cellphones" could be 50 percent or more.

Patrick Salvi Sr., a Chicago personal injury attorney, said in an interview that there is a stigma associated with drunken driving that has not yet attached itself to distracted driving, despite a growing media campaign against the practice.

"People make a concerted effort to have a designated driver or take Uber or a cab if they're going to be drinking," Salvi said. But he said that with distracted driving, "I think it's gotten worse rather than better."

Kellenyi's 18-year-old daughter Nikki died in a 2012 crash -- she was in the back seat and her driver was texting. Mike Kellenyi said part of the problem is that the people who cause drunk driving crashes tend to be drunks on weekends -- but with mobile phones, everyone does it all the time.

"Most of the people are making it home safely, so in their minds it wasn't that bad and they think they're good drivers," Kellenyi said. "The person behind you watching you swerve all over the road doesn't think you're a good driver."

People Against Distracted Driving supports making the penalty for driving while using a cellphone exactly the same as driving while drunk – thousands of dollars in fines, a temporary loss of license and possibly going to safe driving classes. In Illinois, the top fine for using a hand-held mobile device while driving in Illinois is $150.

The Council has called for a total ban on all cellphone use, including hands-free, for all drivers. The Council also recommends mandatory ignition interlocks for first-time drunk driving offenders. The device requires a driver to breathe into a tube, and if the driver had been drinking the car won't start.

The Council also calls on all cities to use automated red-light and speed cameras, wherever possible, particularly at intersections; stronger seat belt laws; and stronger graduated driver licensing systems for young drivers.

The Council also wants mandatory helmet laws for motorcyclists. Illinois does not have a motorcycle helmet law. Some motorcyclists argue that helmets make them less safe and say they should have a choice about whether wear them.

mwisniewski@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @marywizchicago

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