Higher Gas Prices Might be Saving Lives

The Insurance Journal had a very interesting study from the Mississippi State’s Social Science Research Center. The finds included:

• gas prices have both short-term and intermediate-term effects on reducing traffic crashes
• gas prices having a short-term impact on crashes involving younger drivers
• gas prices have a intermediate-term impact related to older drivers and men
• the current month’s average gasoline prices affect the same month’s traffic crashes.
• the rising cost of gas also drives a decline drunk-driving crashes

Their findings were the same as a past editorial I wrote about from the Mitchell, South Dakota Daily Republic . They suggested that maybe we should keep gas prices high. It’s clear that people drive less. When people drive less, less people are killed on the roads. While it’s an interesting idea in economic social engineering, it seems to me that they are simply looking at the reduced number of deaths and pointing out the changes:

If statistics move you, that’s an 11 percent improvement. If you’re a people person, that’s 55 loved ones who made it home safely from sporting events, work, vacations and trips to the grocery store.

The editorial goes on to get to it’s real point, that while high gas prices may have a helpful result, there are many other areas where lives can be saved:

Every motorist can commit to driving less, obviously. The less time you spend on the road, the less likely you will be a traffic statistic.

Motorists also can control other factors that help prevent accidents, especially fatal ones: Wear a seat belt, don’t drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, keep your car in good condition, obey traffic laws and slow down.

Finally, drivers can pay attention.

Highway officials say driver distraction contributed to one in four crashes last year.

When you’re driving, just drive. Don’t text, make phone calls or fiddle with the radio. Focus on the road, not that GPS your child gave you for Father’s Day.

There are things that we can all do to make the roads safer. As Injuryboard members have been writing for some time; buckle up, slow down, and pay attention.