LA Auto Club: Price Records Falling Like Dominoes After 10 Weeks of Hikes

    LOS ANGELES--March 7, 2003--Gasoline price records fell like dominoes throughout Southern California last week as motorists endured the 10th consecutive week of higher prices, according to the Weekend Gas Watch compiled by the Automobile Club of Southern California.
    During the past week, new price records were set for San Diego, Las Vegas and Phoenix. In the past year, prices in the L.A. metro area have increased 67.1 cents.
    Currently, the average price of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.025 per gallon, which is 8.4 cents higher than last week's price, 33 cents higher than last month and 67.1 cents higher than last year.
    In San Diego the price is $2.065, which is a new record, 8 cents higher than last week's level, 33 cents above last month and 65 cents higher than last year. Motorists in the central coast have an average price of $2.060, which is 8.3 cents above last week's price, 32 cents higher than last month and 62 cents higher than last year.
    "Currently, a Southern California commuter with a 20-gallon gas tank spends, on average, $13.42 more for a fill-up than last year," said Carol Thorp, Auto Club spokesperson. "With prices likely to continue rising, consumers need to adopt gas-saving measures like combining trips and ensuring that tires are properly inflated and vehicles are properly tuned.
    "Motorists also need to obey speed limits as excessive speed also contributes to higher gasoline use. Shopping for the best price for gasoline won't help save on gas, but it will help with budgets."
    The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline at popular destinations for motoring trips. Average prices as of 12:01 a.m., March 7:

Area                        Regular   Change from    Record Price
                                       last week

Los Angeles-Long Beach      $2.025     +8.4 cents   $2.036 (5/25/01)

San Diego                   $2.065     +8.0 cents   $2.065 (3/6/03)/a

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-
Lompoc                      $2.060     +8.3 cents   $2.069 (5/16/01)

Las Vegas                   $1.918    +11.3 cents   $1.918 (3/6/03)/a

Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.         $1.771     +9.6 cents   $1.771 (3/6/03)/a

(a) New record