Is there a Correlation Between Driver Deaths and Low Gas Prices?
While no one will complain about a better economy or lower gas prices, even these blessings have a down side. Last year saw more fatal car accidents than any year since 2008, at least partially due to lower fuel prices.
Drastic shifts in the American economy directly contribute to a number of fatal car accidents. Far fewer lethal accidents occurred during the oil-embargo in the 1970s, the recessions in the 1980s and 1990s, and the recent subprime mortgage crisis.
2015 Fatal Car Accident Statistics
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that fatalities in car accidents rose 7.7% in 2015, reaching 35,200 deaths reported. This was the highest year on record since 2008, when 37,423 people died in car accidents.
The low gas prices also contributed to making 2015 the year Americans drove a greater number of miles than ever before. Together, American citizens drove 3.1 trillion miles. The fatality rate per miles driven in 2015 was 1.12 deaths per 100 million miles driven – up from 1.08 in 2014.
Lower Gas Prices and More Car Accidents
In 2015, the national average for gas prices was $2.40 per gallon. This was almost 94 cents cheaper than the 2014 average, and it was the second-lowest annual average of the last decade. Cheaper gas means Americans are driving more places and getting into more accidents – but it is not just about the number of miles driven.
Russ Rader, a spokesperson for the American Automobile Association (AAA) insurance group, says that more Americans are “optional driving.” People are not just making their normal, well-practiced commutes to and from work; they are traveling to places they have never been on roads that they have never driven. This increases the likelihood of an accident, as does the increasing number of long road trips (which often result in driving while fatigued).
Other Factors Increasing Fatal Car Accidents
While the lower price of fuel is probably the most important factor in the increasing number of lethal vehicle accidents, officials are hesitant to put all of the blame on that alone. “The upticks [in deaths] we’re seeing correlate to lower fuel prices, but we don’t want to give ourselves that excuse,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx informed journalists.
Other factors that contribute to the increase in fatal accidents include:
- Driving while using a smart phone. Despite bans in many states (including California) on drivers using handheld phones to talk or text, government surveys have shown that more people are doing exactly that – resulting in more distracted drivers and more accidents.
- Collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists. The evidence of this is still in the preliminary stages, but the numbers are suggesting an increased number of deaths involving pedestrians or cyclists and vehicles.
- Drugged-driving. An increase in marijuana use is leading to higher numbers of car accidents involving drugged drivers. Officials also state that increased prescription drug use among elderly drivers is resulting in more accidents as well.
- Increasing popularity of motorcycles. Motorcycles are more prone to accidents (especially fatal ones) than most other vehicles. The driver’s vulnerability and the motorcycle’s lack of safety features are problematic. Lax helmet laws in some states also increase the number of motorcycle accident fatalities. More riders have bought motorcycles since the recession ended, including older riders who are more easily injured.
Last year saw the most deaths from car accidents in many years, and if history holds true, 2016 could see even more, as gas prices continue to drop and the economy improves. Lower fuel prices and other factors contribute to an increase in the number of fatal car accidents across the United States.