Told or Known

So what’s the real explanation? It’s the economy, stupid. When the economy tanks, as it began to do last year, fewer people are on the road. It’s not just the high gas prices. The same pattern can be seen in other major downturns.

When unemployment rises, fewer people commute to work. When incomes fall, fewer people drive to the malls or to movies and restaurants, because they have less money to spend. And fewer people on the roads mean fewer highway accidents and deaths.