LA Auto Club: Motorists Have a Lucky Friday the 13th with Fourth Straight Week of Lower Gas Prices

LOS ANGELES--May 13, 2005--Shaking off the tradition of bad luck on Friday the 13th, Southern California motorists have the good fortune of paying less for a gallon of gasoline for the fourth consecutive week, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch. The lower price trend shows every sign of continuing through the rest of May.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.539, which is 4.2 cents lower than last week, eight cents lower than last month and 29 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.536, a 4.5-cent decline from than last week, nine cents below last month and 27 cents above last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.668, down 4.1 cents from last week, five cents lower than last month and 30 cents higher than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $2.556, down 4.7 cents from last week, nine cents below last month and 28 cents above last year.

"There is ample crude oil in the nation's inventories to meet our needs and those levels are having a calming effect on international crude markets, where prices had been fluctuating," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "The downward trend appears to be accelerating and motorists can expect to see further declines at the gas pumps for several weeks to come."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., May 13, 2005:

Area                         Regular   Change from     Record Price
                                        last week

Los Angeles-Long Beach        $2.539   -4.2 cents   $2.625 (4/13/2005)

Orange County                 $2.533   -3.3 cents   $2.605 (4/21/2005)

San Diego                     $2.536   -4.5 cents   $2.626 (4/12/2005)

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-
 Lompoc                       $2.668   -4.1 cents   $2.730 (4/29/2005)

Riverside-San Bernardino      $2.556   -4.7 cents   $2.649 (4/13/2005)

Bakersfield                   $2.555   -5.5 cents   $2.682 (4/22/2005)

Las Vegas                     $2.419   -5.0 cents   $2.534 (4/14/2005)