Seasonal & Holidays
Florida Gas Prices Below National Average For July 4 Weekend
While gas prices in Florida are still higher than Independence Day Weekend last year, the state's average is lower than it was a week ago.
FLORIDA — Those planning to travel in Florida for Independence Day might be happy to hear that gas prices on average are not as high as they were a week ago, though they're still higher than last year's average.
The average gas price in Florida was $4.60 per gallon for regular on Friday, AAA reported, but that's not stopping people from hitting the road to celebrate the holiday.
"Gas prices are moving in a favorable direction, as millions of Americans prepare to embark on an Independence Day road trip," said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA - The Auto Club Group, in a news release. "Despite the recent declines, gas prices are still likely to be the highest for this holiday in history."
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Last week the average gas price per gallon of regular in Florida was $4.74 — last year it was $3. The national average was $4.84 as of Friday.
Most of the people expected to travel will do so via car, AAA said.
Find out what's happening in Across Floridafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"AAA forecasts that auto travel will set new records this Independence Day, with 151,000 more road trippers than last year," AAA said in a news release. "More than 42 million Americans are forecast to drive 50 miles or more during the holiday weekend. More than 2.3 million of those will be Floridians."
Why have prices decreased?
The national average for gas fell when there was a drop in the price of oil, AAA said. The economic fear of a global recession caused a lesser demand for oil, causing the price to drop to around $107 per barrel, down from $110 last week, the AAA news release says.
“Fear is not a good reason to move a market like the one for oil, but it is a powerful motivator,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson, in a news release. “The cost of oil accounts for nearly $3 for every $4.89 at the gas pump. Consumers should find more relief when fueling up if oil prices drop further.”
The national average cost of a gallon of gas on Tuesday, when AAA put out the release, was $4.89, which was nine cents less than a week ago, 30 cents more than a month ago, and $1.80 more than a year ago.
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