Lower fuel prices leads to more crashes?

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FORT MYERS, Fla.- Day after day, gas prices are dropping.

WINK News is learning lower prices may not be such a great thing. That’s because safety experts say they could actually lead to more deadly crashes.

Chances are you have seen them happen right in front of you or have watched WINK News report on deadly car crashes.

“It is generally motorists error, following too closely, speeding,” said Lt. Greg Bueno with Florida Highway Patrol

WINK News got our hands on a study from the Journal of Transport Geography. The report claims higher gas prices leads to fewer deadly crashes.

“Yeah I could see that, because a lot more people are doing things on the road instead of staying home and saving gas for work, they are out doing other stuff,” said driver Donald Howard.

According to the study, when gas prices are higher, people drive less frequently, may start using public transportation, drive slowly and reduce drunk driving.

Driver Richard Farrell has his own theory of what happens when we see low gas prices.

“They might speed more too, because the price of gas is less they might go faster,” said Richard Farrell.

The study also suggests that high fuel prices reduce driving in the risk-seeking younger population, which in turn leads to higher traffic safety.

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