August 27, 2008
High gasoline prices have resulted in motorists driving less. As a result, experts say, the number of traffic deaths is falling.
The University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute says that if current trends continue, 2008's traffic death toll could be the lowest in more than 45 years. Study author Michael Sivak says such a decrease is almost unheard of.
Several factors appear to be at work. Sivak says its not only that people are driving less, they're also changing the way they drive. In a conscious effort to conserve fuel, motorists appear to be driving more slowly.
Also, he says, they're driving only when they need to. Those discretionary trips that are being eliminated usually occurred at night or on the weekend, when the danger of an accident is greater.
Finally, he says, high gasoline prices have reduced the number of miles teenagers are spending behind the wheel. Reduced driving by less experienced drivers, the study suggests, reduces the likelihood of accidents.
In breaking down the fatality figures, Sivak said he was struck by the significant drop in road deaths in March and April of this year. That coincides with the time when gasoline prices surged past $3 a gallon and quickly headed toward $4. Highway deaths were down 22.1 percent in March and 17.9 percent in April.
