High fuel prices save lives

10 November 2008

20% fewer road deaths
Traffic falls only 1%
Suggests careful driving is the reason

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High fuel prices have helped to save up to 140 lives this year because motorists slowed down and drove less aggressively to save money, according to a new survey.

Department for Transport figures show that road deaths fell by 20% in April, May and June this year, the biggest drop in any three-month period for 20 years. There were 580 deaths compared with 721 in the same period last year.

Traffic fell by 1% over the period, indicating that only a small proportion of the decline in fatalities was due to people driving fewer miles.

Research by the AA showed that 22% of its members said they had slowed down to save fuel and 42% claimed they accelerated more gently and avoided sharp braking.

AA president Edmund King said: 'These actions could have contributed to a reduction in deaths.'