High fuel prices have driven road deaths in the US down to their lowest level since the 1960s, it has been claimed. Experts believe that motorists are driving less and slower because of the high costs and this is having a direct affect on casualties.
The number of fatalities could fall by 10% this year to around 37,000, the lowest since 1961, according to research that suggests it is down to a reduction in leisure travel.
The University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute found that the number of fatalities slumped by 22% in March and by 18% in April, around the same time that global oil prices were soaring.
‘It seems as if we have changed our driving behaviour rapidly and drastically,’ said Michael Sivak, a professor at the institute. ‘There’s been a lot of coverage on how you can squeeze a few extra miles out of your tank – driving slowly is one way to do that.’
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