I haven't read *all* of these posts, so hopefully I'm not repeating someone, but your linked report says this:
"Covers only accidents occurring on the road. Data are estimated. Year-to-year comparisons should be made with caution."
Records are public. Why do they have to estimate? Why didn't they just collect accident reports? They don't say. As at least one person noted, drunk driving is almost certainly down since 1990. Cars are better made, especially brakes. An increasing number of states ban handheld devices.
I've had two accidents in about the last 12 years. One was a man talking on a cellphone who veered into my lane. The other was a young man who plowed into my pickup, which was parked on a quiet, straight street. He was amazed he had hit me. Cellphone? Probably, but I'm not certain. He was in the car alone in late afternoon, so it wasn't "partying".
I've had many close calls. I can often tell when someone in front of me is on the phone because their driving doesn't correspond to conditions. Their speed and braking is erratic. Cellphones have also created a problem of very few people signaling. They simply don't have a hand free to do it!
So how do we figure in the increased defensive driving on the part of people who are paying attention? To a great extent, non-phoners are doing the work for phoners. I find driving to be more strenuous than it used to be. I have to constantly be vigilant for lane wanderers, non-signalers and general out-to-lunchers. Those people are all depending on others to be paying attention.
It would be interesting to also see figures for pedestrians. How many injuries walking into trees and cars while phoning? Last week I was heading down into the subway as a young woman strolled down the middle of the stairs, gabbing away, not holding the railing. I said excuse me, then "on your left". I was afraid she might step to the left as I passed and send one or both of us down the stairs. She was simply *not where she was*. Finally I raised my voice and said "wake up!". That worked. :) I listened to her indignant protests fade into the distance as I headed for the train. At least no one fell down the stairs. (Excuse me?! How dare you! blah, blah, blah...) And who knows, maybe she'll pay attention a bit more in the future. But the incident highlights another disturbing trend: People are increasingly uncomfortable simply being where they are. Many people simply don't expect to have to relate to the world around them. They're offended by it! It's not only a danger and a mild form of mental illness; it's also a growing social problem. I find people increasingly just walk into me on sidewalks. I asked a blind friend about his experience. Yes, more and more people are walking into him, as he walks city streets with a guide dog!
While we're at it, I'm curious how many accidents are caused by ridiculous flashing light overkill on emergency vehicles. Police and firefighters just can't seem to resist the childish thrill of adding yet another light. Police cars used to have a blue "bubble gum machine" on top. It worked fine. Now they have dozens of flashing lights in every color. The problem: It's impossible to tell where an emergency vehicle is going. Even if they use turn signals, there's no time to figure out which lights on this high-speed, psychedelic Christmas tree are signalling.