Weekend Gas Watch Tracks New Fuel Price Records

    LOS ANGELES--May 11, 2001--New record highs for the average price of gasoline in Southern California, Southern Nevada and Arizona were recorded for the second consecutive week, according to the Weekend Gas Watch, compiled by the Automobile Club of Southern California.
    The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline at popular destinations for motoring trips.
    In the Los Angeles-Long Beach area, the average price of a gallon of unleaded regular gas rose 12.1 cents during the past week. In San Diego, the average price was up 3.5 cents and in the Santa Barbara- Santa Maria-Lompoc area the average price rose 2.9 cents per gallon.
    In Las Vegas during the same period, the average price increased 4.2 cents and in the Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz., area the average price rose 1.8 cents per gallon.
    "The increase of 12.1 cents per gallon in Los Angeles County is nearly twice the 6.4-cent jump from the previous week," said Jeffrey Spring, public relations supervisor of the Auto Club. "Prices in Los Angeles and Long Beach are now nearing the prices in other parts of the state. The historic advantage due to stronger competition that L.A.-area motorists had seems to have eroded in the current market."

Average prices as of 12:01 a.m. May 11.

Area                                     Regular   Mid-Grade  Premium

Los Angeles-Long Beach                   $1.971     $2.098     $2.132

San Diego                                $1.979     $2.106     $2.141

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc         $2.008     $2.137     $2.173

Las Vegas                                $1.828     $1.927     $1.997

Phoenix-Mesa                             $1.686     $1.758     $1.860

    "Ever-increasing gasoline prices points to the immediate need for common-sense techniques to stretch every dollar," said Steve Mazor, principal automotive engineer for the Auto Club. "It's surprising, but changing just a few things can add up quickly into significant savings."
    The top five gas-saving tips are, according to Mazor:

1. Slow down, accelerate and brake gently, and anticipate driving
    conditions. By going easy on the gas pedal and brake you can
    change your ride from a jerky one to a smooth one and that can
    add up to 15 percent improvement in fuel efficiency.

2. Turn off the air conditioner. Running your air conditioner causes
    extra work for the engine, resulting in a reduction in fuel
    efficiency by 5-10 percent. To get the most number of miles per
    gallon, keep the windows up and use the ventilator. Rolling down
    the windows increases ventilation, but it also causes wind
    resistance that can lower fuel economy by 5 percent. For
    high-speed driving in a newer car, the extra work for the engine
    caused by the air conditioner is roughly equal to the amount of
    wind resistance caused by open windows. However, for older cars,
    choosing to open the windows instead of using the air conditioner
    can get you more miles per gallon.

3. Tire pressure. Maintain the manufacturer-recommended tire pressure
    and check every two to four weeks. You can lose up to 2 percent
    of fuel efficiency for every pound per square inch below the
    manufacturer's minimum recommendation.

4. Perform routine maintenance according to recommendations in the
    owner's manual. Ignoring tune-ups, lubricant and filter changes
    can cause gradual loss of fuel economy -- up to 5 percent before
    you notice.

5. Clean the junk out of the trunk. Some people are carrying around
    hundreds of pounds of unnecessary items in their trunk. The more
    weight the car carries, the harder the engine has to work and the
    fewer miles per gallon you will get.