> It just gets better and better. They are cutting out leisure travel,
> aka wasteful hypermobility, and saving lives.
>
> "Highways in the US are at their safest since the 1960s as the
> rocketing price of petrol puts a strain on America's love affair with
> fast cars.
>
> The number of fatalities on US roads is on track to fall by 10%% this
> year to around 37,000 - the lowest since 1961, according to research
> suggesting that deaths are plummeting as people cut out leisure
> travel, especially in the evenings, to save money.
>
> When global oil prices accelerated during the spring, the number of
> fatalities slumped by 22%% in March and by 18%% in April, the University
> of Michigan's transportation research institute found.
>
> "It seems as if we have changed our driving behaviour rapidly and
> drastically in the last few months," said Michael Sivak, a research
> professor at the institute.
>
> As cash-strapped motorists look for savings, they first tend to reduce
> their mileage on recreational outings. These are often in the dark and
> are more likely to be on high-speed rural roads than on relatively
> safe urban commuter routes..."
>
> More:
>
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/aug/26/energyefficiency.usa