The Seattle Times has an interesting article on a recent study of what appears to be a dramatic decrease in traffic fatalities and how that decrease relates to the price of fuel. According to this article , fatal accidents are expected to fall below 37,000 for the first time since 1961. Fatal accidents peaked at over 55,600 in 1972, and they have been declining ever since. Still, that decline has been at just over 4% a year. Starting in March of this year, however, the fatalities have been dropping rapidly at a rate that is nearly 20% lower than the previous year.
Certainly automobile safety measures have contributed to some of the overall decline, and certainly the cost of fuel is causing some to alter their driving habits. But, do you believe that the rising cost of fuel is saving a significant number of lives?
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