Good News vis Higher Gas Prices

[helwen]

Overall, traffic deaths in the U.S. have gone down:

Traffic Deaths Fall as Gas Prices Climb

There's a map of the U.S. as part of the article, so most people can check to see if their state's stats have gone up or down. A few didn't have available data.

Comments

[flidaisairmid.livejournal.com]

In Wisconsin's case, most of the major resorts have been damaged by flooding that have resulted in several dams breaking and resorts being destroyed- not related to gas prices, but interesting that this was lumped in statistically.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Indeed. And even the article noted that one of the states was running a special driver program to cut down on DUIs, which may have had an effect. Still, the overall trend is interesting. I'd like to see what things look like in a few months, when gas is likely to be even higher...

[flidaisairmid.livejournal.com]

It will be interesting to watch. In the case of Wisconsin it becomes a major hunting area in the fall, and with the rising cost of food and such , i would speculate that there will be more hunters this year. If so, then statistically you would see a rise in traffic related deaths due to increased traffic. Interesting that California, which has the highest or second highest gas prices in the nation, has seen no change statistically. And why the sharp increase in Arizona and Maine ?

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Ah, I hadn't thought about hunting season. Hm...

And yeah, no idea on Arizona or Maine. Although, I think more people have been moving to Tucson this year (jobs), so that might be contributing for them. Maine's a total mystery though. Something must have changed, obviously, but... well, maybe the folks in Maine will be checking that out.