Not only are people driving less as a result of higher gas prices, they’re dying less, according to a University of Alabama (Birmingham) and Harvard Medical School study.High prices at the pump have led to a marked decrease in automobile fatalities, a result of people driving less often and at slower speeds. The study concludes that for every 10% rise in gas prices, 2.3% fewer people perish on the pavement. If prices remain at $4 per gallon or higher, fatal automobile accidents could be cut by nearly a third, resulting in 12,000 or more lives saved annually.
The study’s co-author, Professor David Grabowski of Harvard Medical School, cautions that this life-saving effect could be offset to some degree as people shift to small, lighter and more fuel-efficient vehicles.
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