Gasoline Prices and Their Relationship ship to Drunk-Driving Crashes

摘要

This study investigates the relationship between changing gasoline prices and drunk-drivingcrashes. Specifically, we examine the effects of gasoline prices on drunk-driving crashes inMississippi by several crash types and demographic groups at the monthly level from 2004–2008,a period experiencing great fluctuation in gasoline prices. An exploratory visualization by graphsshows that higher gasoline prices are generally associated with fewer drunk-driving crashes.Higher gasoline prices depress drunk-driving crashes among young and adult drivers, amongmale and female drivers, and among white and black drivers. Results from negative binomialregression models show that when gas prices are higher, there are fewer drunk-driving crashes,particularly among property-damage-only crashes. When alcohol consumption levels are higher,there are more drunk-driving crashes, particularly fatal and injury crashes. The effects ofgasoline prices and alcohol consumption are stronger on drunk-driving crashes than on allcrashes. The findings do not vary much across different demographic groups. Overall, gasolineprices have greater effects on less severe crashes and alcohol consumption has greater effects onmore severe crashes.