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Can economic conditions affect driver behavior and increase the chances that a motor vehicle accident will occur? Researchers from Texas A&M recently conducted an in-depth study to try to find the answer to this question. Newswise published information on the results of the research, which showed that better economic conditions do result in more car accident deaths.

Improved economic conditions can affect car crash death rates because there are a greater number of people on the roads when the economy is better. Drivers are causing these crashes to occur and it is up to motorists to take steps to try to prevent accidents from happening. If a driver engages in risky behavior that leads to an accident, Ft. Myers personal injury attorneys like Randall Spivey can represent victims of the collision in pursuing a claim to receive monetary damages for both economic and non-financial crash losses.

Economic Conditions and Car Crash Deaths

According to the Newswise article, there were more than 30,000 car accidents on the roads of the United States in 2013 that resulted in at least one fatality.  Falling gas prices, lower unemployment and other improvements in overall economic conditions are likely to drive fatality numbers higher.  In fact, researchers from Texas A&M believe that there could be as much as a 20 percent increase in nationwide car accident deaths in 2016 compared with the total number of car accident fatalities in 2015.

One of the big reasons why the death rate is projected to be so much higher this year is the fact gasoline has become much less expensive. Gas prices have declined by at least $1 in many places throughout the United States over the past year, and researchers believe that when gas prices fall by a dollar or more, there is an 11 percent increase in road fatalities nationwide.

Young drivers age 16 to 24 are the age group with the highest rate of crash involvement of any demographic group.  This is very similar to the demographic group that is most likely to change driving behaviors due to falling gas prices. It is drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 who are most affected when gas prices decline, likely because this demographic group has more limited disposable income than older people. As gas prices fall, teens and young adults drive more frequently and for longer distances. 

A decline in unemployment also affects crash rates. Lower unemployment means more people are employed, including more young people who may have the hardest time finding work when jobs are scarce.  For each one percent increase in overall unemployment rates, researchers project a nine percent increase in national car accident fatalities.

All of this data means that while an improving economy is a good thing, it also creates substantial new risks of which drivers need to be aware. Motorists should try to avoid contributing to the problem of rising crash risks by driving carefully and maintaining an awareness that their crash risk may be greater this year than in recent years. If a crash does happen, victims should consult with the personal injury attorneys at the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. as soon as possible to take appropriate legal action against those who were responsible.