Oil prices rise, the number of deaths decreases

A new US study said that rising oil prices could reduce the number of fatal accidents by up to a third, mainly in young drivers.

The science group from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Harvard Medical School found that whenever oil prices rose by 10%, the number of deaths from motor vehicle accidents fell by 2.3%.

For drivers aged 15 to 17, this reduction is 6% and in the age group 18 to 21, the number of fatal accidents decreased by 3.2%.

The team studied traffic accident rates from 1985 to 2006, when oil prices reached $ 2.5 a gallon. Now, with prices of up to $ 4 a gallon, it is expected to see a much stronger reduction - about 1,000 deaths per month.

(Photo: media.kiiitv.com)

Scientists also found "half symmetry of the same type" between oil prices and the number of people killed by car accidents when prices fell.

"When oil prices fall, we drive more, ride bigger cars, drive faster and have more deaths , " said Michael Morrisey, an expert at the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

However, David Grabowski from Harvard Medical School noted that their prediction of the 1,000 deaths per month could be offset by the shift to smaller, lighter and more economical cars. more data, as well as an increase in the use of motorcycles and pushcarts.