In the beginning, fuel efficient cars were not particularly attractive. Though they did offer increased gas mileage and had the potential to save people money, they were not very stylish compared to other models on the road. People may have wanted to forgo fuel-efficiency in favor of style.
However, recently more and more fuel efficient cars are being manufactured and there are more options. Many gas-saving cars are now sleek and sophisticated while also saving people money.
But fuel efficient cars have more benefits than just increased gas mileage. It may surprise you but a study showed fuel efficient cars may actually be safer than their gas guzzling and less efficient counterparts.
Study results
Antonio Bento from the University of Southern California researched how weight of vehicles effects fatality chances during a crash for the National Bureau of Economic Research. Bento looked at cars sold between 1954 and 2005 and determined fuel efficient cars have a lower average weight than other vehicles.
He then found that a lower average weight of a vehicle was associated with a decrease in fatalities from motor vehicle accidents.
What does it mean?
Based on this information, we may be able to assume that if more people were to drive fuel efficient cars, the number of deaths due to motor vehicle accidents would decrease since the average weight of the cars would be less.
Car accidents are a leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States. However, based on improvements in safety technology and the lower average weight of vehicles research from Bento indicated that there are approximately 393 fewer car accident deaths in the United States annually.
This research indicates that there are now more benefits than ever to buying fuel-efficient vehicles. People can save money on gas and might keep their loved ones safer by buying fuel-efficient cars. And, they can do it in style now, too.