MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — The number of people killed or injured in accidents caused by use of electronic devices doubled in Iowa last year.
The Globe Gazette in Mason City reports 14 people were killed in 2015, compared to seven the previous year.
The Iowa Department of Transportation says 601 people were injured in those types of accidents last year, up from 270 in 2014. The overall number of accidents caused by distracted driving rose to 1,100 last year, a 43 percent increase from 2014.
Pat Hoye, bureau chief for the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau, says one reason for the increase is the growing use of cellphones.
