Are higher gas prices leading to safer driving?

Tampa, Florida -- If gas prices are having an impact on something other than your wallet, it may be on your driving. Although there is no hard evidence, anecdotally it appears some drivers are slowing down in an effort to get better gas mileage.

"Even where you can be driving 70 miles an hour, I'm seeing a lot more people driving 60 or 65 tops," said Gregg Laskoski with the American Automobile Association.

But does that mean our roads are safer? Experts say not necessarily.

Sgt. Steve Gaskins with the Florida Highway Patrol says if someone is still speeding, they can make the road dangerous for everyone else.

"If you've got one vehicle overtaking another at great speeds, at some point the vehicle going too fast is going to be tailgating cars, it will be cutting in and out of traffic."

Larene Beck, a truck driver for the past 30 years, adds she's seen what one bad driver can do plenty of times.

"I've seen roads shut down for 8 to 10 hours, 12 hours because of one driver," she said.

Other drivers suggest that higher gas prices may also be fueling shorter tempers.

Even statistics that show traffic fatalities in Hillsborough County may be down this year could be misleading according to officials. They say its possible people could simply be driving less.

Gaskins adds two things are for sure: It is illegal to speed and, if caught, you could be looking at an expensive ticket.