So here goes... Let's say the price of gas is $4.00 now - if each 10 cents increase reduces the number of highway deaths by 2.3% here is what we can conclude.
100% divided by 2.3 equals approximately 43.5, which means that if gas were increased by 43.5 times 10 cents, that would be a price increase of $4.35 per gallon.
So the bottom line is if gasoline goes from $4 to $8.35 per gallon...there would be no, zip, none, zero, nada highway deaths.
Wouldn't that be great?!?!
So we should put up billboards reading $8.35/gallon gas eliminates all highway deaths, according to CNN.
Of course, I suppose someone might get on the highway all by himself and try to get to 200 MPH and ruin the perfect number.
“100% divided by 2.3 equals approximately 43.5, which means that if gas were increased by 43.5 times 10 cents, that would be a price increase of $4.35 per gallon.”
Fun to think about...but, it doesn’t work the way you describe. The quote is for every ten cent increase traffic deaths decline by 2.3%. So, if there were 100 deaths before the next ten cents increase we would expect 2.3 fewer deaths...then on the next ten cent gas increase we would expect 2.247 deaths (2.3% of 97.7 deaths prior to the new ten cent increase but after the initial ten cent increase). Theoretically, we would never reach zero deaths although the chance of death would get very very small...
I suspect that the death rate per vehicle mile traveled does not see such a dramatic change.
Wow! Imagine how low the rate will be when gas prices keep EVERYBODY off the road!/s