National gas prices are lower due to fears of coronaviruses

In the past three weeks, when China closed and fewer people traveled, gas prices in the United States fell 6 cents per gallon, according to data compiled by the fuel price platform GasBuddy .

The national average is $ 2.41 on Wednesday, $ 1.70 less than the highest recorded average of $ 4.11 in July 2008. A gallon of gas costs less than $ 2 in more than 3,000 service stations in the United States, according to GasBuddy.

According to Patrick DeHaan, senior analyst in the apps industry, the spread of respiratory illnesses has triggered a drop in global demand that could benefit national motorists for weeks.

Tens of thousands of flights have been canceled, people have been told not to go to school and to work, and now it's spreading, said DeHaan. What you see is a reduction in global demand for oil that has brought down the price of oil.

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Falling prices for crude oil, from which gasoline is made, translates to lower prices at the pump.

Southern states like Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas pay the lowest price for gas: averages per gallon hover around $ 2.01. The west coast pays the most. The average in California and Washington is just over $ 3.

Distance supply, taxes and retail competition contribute to regional price differences. Prices per gallon have dropped in almost every state, according to Gasbuddy.

There are caveats that can send gas prices the other way around.