The Auto Club

Gas prices under $2 a gallon are cropping up here and there around Southern California after a third straight week of gas price decreases, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.175 per gallon, which is 3.6 cents less than last week, four cents lower than last month, and $1.33 less than last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.197, which is 3.7 cents less than last week’s price, six cents below last month, and $1.40 lower than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.267, down three cents from last week, five cents below last month, and $1.43 below last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $2.166, which is 3.6 cents under last week, five cents less than last month, and $1.41 less than last year.

“Granada Hills, Fullerton, Whittier, San Diego and Ontario are among the cities with at least one gas station priced at $1.99 or less this week,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “It’s possible that several more cities will see prices under $2 in the next few days.”

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 3:07 a.m. on March 13.

Gas prices posted mixed increases and decreases in different areas of Southern California over the past month, but mainly stayed within a nickel of their February levels, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California monthly Fuel Gauge Report.

The Southern California March average price for regular self-serve gasoline is almost identical to February, dropping by half a penny from $2.217 to $2.212. In March 2008, the monthly Fuel Gauge Report average for Southern California was $3.58 – $1.37 higher than the current monthly average.

The statewide average price of $2.204 is two cents lower than the February average of $2.226. The state’s lowest average price is in La Habra, where regular sells for $2.11. Tahoe City has the highest price average in the state at $2.599. CONTINUED »

The Auto Club

Daylight-saving time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 8. Parents are encouraged by the Automobile Club of Southern California to make sure children who are playing outside later in the day are wearing helmets while biking and skateboarding. They also should caution children of all ages to watch out for motorists. Drivers are advised to use extra caution, and to be aware of more children and others who are outdoors in the lighter evening hours especially in the first weeks of the time change.

Many more pedestrians, joggers, children, walkers and bicyclists will be outside running, riding and playing because of the longer daylight hours during the evening commute, according to the Auto Club. Motorists should drive slower and be extra alert, particularly in residential neighborhoods and school zones, according to the Auto Club. This is especially important with bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities numbering 790 and bike and pedestrian injuries reaching 24,253 statewide in 2007. CONTINUED »

The Auto Club

While graduated driver licensing laws nationwide are estimated to have saved hundreds of lives by reducing the number of teen driver crashes, a new analysis of teen crash data by the Automobile Club of Southern California and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that teen drivers continue to pose significant risks, particularly to others on the road.

The new report, "Teen Crashes-Everyone is at Risk," looks at the change in teen driver deaths over the past 10 years - the period when most states were enacting graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws. From 1998 through 2007, young drivers, ages 15-17, killed in teen driver crashes dropped by 27 percent (from 1,134 to 823).

"The drop suggests the effectiveness of the GDL laws over that time period and underscores the positive link between teen driver safety and everyone's safety on the road. This should be a clear signal to parents to reinforce and follow GDL along with their teen," said Steven A. Bloch, Ph.D., the Auto Club's senior research associate. "That's especially significant because crashes of older drivers weren't declining nearly as quickly as those of younger drivers." CONTINUED »

The Auto Club

Prices began increasing more rapidly at gas pumps in the past week, reportedly because of local refinery maintenance issues, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.216 per gallon, which is 9.1 cents more than last week, 27 cents higher than last month, and 86 cents less than last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.257, which is 10 cents more than last week’s price, 26 cents above last month, and 85 cents lower than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.318, up 10 cents from last week, 29 cents up from last month, and 93 cents below last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $2.219, which is 8.9 cents over last week, 27 cents more than last month, and 85 cents less than last year.

“At least one oil industry analyst this week has reported diminished output at California refineries because of unanticipated maintenance issues,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “These supply reductions may be playing a role in pushing up prices.”

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 3:07 a.m. on Feb. 13.

Car owners may be tempted to balance their household budgets by delaying or ignoring regular vehicle maintenance in tough economic times. This could lead to more expensive breakdowns in the future, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

“There is vehicle maintenance that motorists can’t afford to ignore,” said Dave Skaien of the Auto Club’s Approved Auto Repair Program. “As consumers look for ways to cut their budgets, it may seem easy to delay maintaining your vehicle. However, keeping a vehicle regularly maintained is the best way to avoid major repairs down the road that are far more costly,” Skaien said.

“Proper maintenance is also critical to safe operation of a vehicle as well as the safety of the driver, and passengers,” Skaien added. CONTINUED »

The Auto Club

Seventeen vehicles in Costa Mesa were burglarized in a single evening in late January and numerous vehicles in Laguna Beach were also hit when thieves smashed car windows. In Los Angeles, a young couple’s car and iPod were stolen while the couple was in a local hospital maternity ward having a baby. Thieves are targeting in-car entertainment and GPS navigation systems, iPods, and briefcases and gym bags that may contain valuables, according to police reports.

Several older sedan models, including Toyota Camrys, Honda Accords, and Civics, in addition to Chevrolet trucks, and SUVs are targets for car thieves for small electronics, personal items and information, car parts, and wheels and rims, according to Womble.

The Automobile Club of Southern California recommends Southland drivers lock up their vehicles as well as their valuables to keep their car from being broken into or even stolen. “Simple precautions can keep electronics as well as vehicles from being taken,” said David Womble, one of the Auto Club’s group managers for claims. CONTINUED »

It wasn't another week of double-digit increases, but gas prices still went up by about a penny a day in many local markets over the last week, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.062 per gallon, which is 7.3 cents more than last week, 29 cents higher than last month, and $1.14 under last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.082, which is 4.5 cents more than last week's price, 29 cents above last month, and $1.12 lower than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.143, up 6.7 cents from last week, 27 cents up from last month, and $1.16 below last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $2.053, which is 6.4 cents over last week, 30 cents more than last month, and $1.13 less than last year.

"Southern California prices do normally rise at this time of year as refineries cut inventory, perform maintenance, and prepare to produce the 'summer blend' of gasoline that is required to improve the state's air quality," said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. "Since their low point nearly six weeks ago, gas price averages have risen by 34 to 38 cents in most local areas."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 2:56 a.m. on Jan. 23.

The Auto Club

Many Southern California areas broke through $2 gas price averages this week as price increases grew from about a penny a day to about 1.5 cents daily, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $1.989 per gallon, which is 10.9 cents more than last week, 26 cents higher than last month, and $1.29 under last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.037, which is 11 cents more than last week's price, 33 cents above last month, and $1.25 lower than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.076, up 8.2 cents from last week, 28 cents up from last month, and $1.31 below last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $1.989, which is 10.8 cents over last week, 29 cents more than last month, and $1.28 less than last year.

"Even with crude oil trading at very low prices, California gas prices continue to rise," said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. "Oil industry analysts say that is because California refineries have sharply cut production of the state's blend of unleaded gasoline in favor of fuel blends with higher profit margins."

The Auto Club

The use of hand-held cell phones by California motorists dropped by two-thirds in the first three months after the law went into effect last July, according to an Automobile Club of Southern California survey of drivers using cell phones and electronic devises on Southland roads.

An observational survey by the Auto Club was conducted at three time periods - prior to the law taking effect in July, in August and October, 2008. During the first period prior to the law, the Auto Club found that 9.3 percent of drivers were using hand-held cell phones. By August, hand held cell phone use declined to 3.3 percent, and by October, three months after the law took effect, hand-held cell phone use was at 3.4 percent -- a drop of 64 percent over the pre-law level.

"The findings demonstrate that the law had much of its intended effect of reducing the number of drivers using their hand-held cell phones," said Steven A. Bloch, Ph.D., the Auto Club's senior traffic safety researcher. "Our one-month survey showed a sharp drop in cell phone use. What's impressive about our findings is that it shows that drivers are continuing to pay attention to the new law several months later."

The 64 percent reduction in cell phone use in the Auto Club's surveys is somewhat greater than that found in other U.S. studies. In New York and Washington D.C., cell phone use declined about 50 percent over the first few months under their new laws. "It will be important to determine whether California can maintain its high level of reduction over the long-term," Bloch said. New York, for example, did not, he added. "The Auto Club will be monitoring this issue."

The Auto Club surveys also examined driver use of other electronic devices, such as text messaging and hands-free cell phones. Before the law, nearly 5 percent of drivers were using some type of electronic device while driving. Unexpectedly, use of other electronic devices also dropped from pre-law levels to 3.7 percent in August and falling slightly lower to 3.2 percent in October. CONTINUED »