By the Numbers

By Myles Dannhausen Jr. , March 5th, 2008

A look at the world in numbers.

4.8

Percent rise in the price of food and beverages in the past 12 months

9.4

Percent rise in the cost of transportation

Percent increase in the price of corn

Percent of all drivers who send or receive text messages while driving

Percent of drivers age 18 – 24 who do

Percent of teenagers killed in car crashes who were riding with a teen driver

Percent of those victims who weren’t wearing a seat belt

U.S. troop deaths in Iraq in February, the 3rd lowest one-month total of the war

3,965

Total U.S. service members killed in the war

633

Civilian deaths in Iraq in February

Sources: U.S. News and World Report; New York Times; CNN; MSNBC.com