Gasoline prices in the Lower Mainland have fallen slightly over the past few weeks, defying predictions by market watchers that prices were on a steady march to record highs.

Experts now say that the market just won’t bear record highs right now.

"One important factor that affects gas prices is the over-all state of the economy, especially the U.S. economy," said James Brander, of the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.

Other factors also are coming into play, such as the even shakier European economy and a slight easing in Middle East tensions as the CBC’s Belle Puri reports.