A recent report has found that there has been at least one bright spot of the recent economic downturn and that is a reduction in fatal car accidents in Alabama. The report found that traffic accident fatalities have dropped by nearly half in Alabama’s wiregrass area over the last year. Alabama Governor Bob Riley recently reported that early numbers showed a 17% reduction in fatal motor vehicle accidents state wide in the last year.
One of the factors that has lead to this decline in fatal car accidents is higher gas prices and the overall downturn in the economy. As gas prices rose and the economy tanked last year, fewer drivers hit Alabama’s highways and when they did they drove slower to conserve gas. Studies have found that there is a direct correlation between higher speeds and fatalities. In addition to fewer drivers on Alabama Highways, enforcement campaigns such as “Take Back Our Highways” and “Click It or Ticket” have had a positive impact on the safety of Alabama’s highways. Hopefully when the economy starts to rebound there will not be this same correlation to an increase in Alabama car accidents.