Study: High Gas Prices Lead to Fewer Auto Accidents

As gasoline prices reach $4 a gallon throughout the nation, pain at the pump seems to have at least one silver lining for drivers and insurers. The rising cost of gas also drives a decline in all traffic accidents, including drunk-driving crashes, according to a new study by Mississippi State’s Social Science Research Center. Researcher Guangqing Chi, an assistant professor of sociology at the university, published his findings in the Journal of Safety Research and Accident Analysis and Prevention.