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That's how many people died in traffic accidents in the one hour I was grocery shopping this morning.  Nevermind Avian flu, Swine flu, malaria, Ebola, Zika, H1-N1 or COVID, cars are killing 1.5 million people every year around the world, according to the World Health Organization.  That's almost 4,000 deaths EVERY DAY!

Traffic accidents are the top killer of people aged five to 29 -- outpacing any illness and exceeding the combined annual casualties of all the world's armed conflicts.  From 2013 to 2016, the traffic death toll jumped by 100,000 -- not including the 50 million who don't actually die, but are severely and permanently maimed.

In the U.S., 36,560 people died in car crashes in 2018 -- about the same number as killed by guns.  It's astounding!  And in case you think you're safer walking, or riding your bike, in the U.S., you're not.  In the same year, 7,140 health nuts bit it doing these "harmless" activities.  Yet, no one gives a sh-t?!

So, while we're all wringing and washing our hands, staying home and wearing masks, we're in more danger crossing the street or tooling around the average parking lot.  All this delicious data I gleaned from an article in the March/April edition of 'Foreign Affairs' magazine.  Folks, it's always in the numbers.

But the reason no one talks about this is because it's all about the auto industry.  As I always say, whither the car, whither the world economy.

The world runs on cars, so mum's the word!