We're still feeling the pain at the pump, but high gas prices may actually be having a positive effect on keeping the roads safer.
Preliminary numbers from the DOT show traffic fatalities in the state have dropped 27-percent from the same period last year. With so many people concerned about the high cost of driving and its impact on our economy, Pam Moen with AAA Wisconsin says it's nice to see an upside for a change.
Moen says there's less traffic on the roads and people are driving slower to conserve fuel. Although, she admits higher gas prices don't deserve all of the credit. Several periods of bad weather this year have kept people off the roads. Law enforcement safety efforts have also helped to crack down on dangerous driving and speeding.
Moen says the declining numbers shouldn't make us complacent about safety though. If anything, she says it should motivate Wisconsin drivers to make the roads even safer.
AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (MP3 1:04)
