Survey: Gas prices continue dropping

An increase in the crude oil supply has contributed to another drop in gasoline prices in the past two weeks, continuing a downward trend that began two months ago, an industry analyst said Sunday.

Between Dec. 3 and Dec. 17, the combined national price for all grades of gasoline dropped more than 10 cents per gallon to $1.86, bringing the total decrease since Oct. 22 to more than 21 cents per gallon, said analyst Trilby Lundberg, who publishes the semimonthly Lundberg Survey of 7,000 gas stations across the country.

Automobile safety

Kia Spectra fares poorly in crash test

The Kia Spectra is the first vehicle since 2001 to get the insurance industry’s worst safety rating in a frontal crash test, according to results released Sunday.

The Spectra, a small, four-door sedan that starts at $13,240, got the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s lowest rating of poor after a crash test dummy’s head, chest and legs were injured in the 40 mph crash test. The last car to get that rating was the Chevrolet Cavalier in 2001.

“Most manufacturers have figured out how to design vehicles to do a good job protecting people in frontal crashes,” said Adrian Lund, the institute’s chief operating officer. “Kia lags behind its competitors.”