One Way to Save Lives

By Dale McFeatters

Scripps Howard News Service

It's an ill recession that blows no good, and here are two Pollyannaish spots to a sagging economy: Airline performance was the best in four years and highway deaths were the fewest since 1961.

Because of the economy and gas prices, people are driving less. The federal government says 37,313 died in vehicle crashes last year, down more than 9 percent from the year before and approaching the 36,285 killed in 1961.

Another bad year for the economy ― and talk about looking at the bright side ― we may pass that mark. The 2008 fatality rate ― the number of highway deaths per 100 million vehicle miles ― fell to 1.28, a record.

Coming off a decade-high in complaints in 2007, the airlines last year arrived on time more often, lost fewer bags and bumped fewer passengers.

In 2007 when times were still flush, the airlines flew a near-capacity 770 million miles, back to pre-9/11 levels. Last year, the airlines flew 741 million miles. Even so, according to a study by St. Louis and Wichita State universities, nearly one-fourth of all flights were late. And often you had to pay for your bags and your snacks.

One reason for the drop in highway deaths was seatbelt use. The national average for seatbelt use was 83 percent, with 14 states and Washington, D.C., averaging over 90 percent.

You have to hope that when good times return and people resume driving far and driving often that buckling the seatbelt will have become second nature.

And aviations specialists hope that the aviation industry will use the lull in traffic to improve the air traffic control system and increase its capacity.

But let's not get too giddy about seeing these glasses as half full.

Dale McFeatters is an editorial writer of Scripps Howard News Service (www.scrippsnews.com).