High gas prices lead to decline in traffic accidents

Rising gas prices create an accompanying decline in all traffic accidents, including drunk-driving crashes, according to a study by Mississippi State's Social Science Research Center.

An SSRC demographer, Guangqing Chi, also an assistant professor of sociology at the university, examined a range of factors related to driving-related accidents in the state, including age, gender and race.
The study analyzed total traffic crashes between April 2004 and December 2008, comparing gas prices to traffic safety statistics.
"The results suggest that prices have both short-term and intermediate-term effects on reducing traffic crashes," said Chi.
Among other points, the research also shows gas prices having a short-term impact on crashes involving younger drivers and intermediate-term impact related to older drivers and men.
Chi said short-term impact refers to immediate effects, for example how a current month's average gasoline prices affect the same month's traffic crashes. Intermediate-term impact refers to effects over a one-year subsequent time period.
His research also found significant connections between gas prices and a reduced frequency of alcohol-related crashes.
The study has been published in the Journal of Safety Research and Accident Analysis and Prevention. ANI

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