Gasoline prices climb to record highs in S. California

Gasoline prices climbed to record highs in Southern California, which has the highest gasoline prices in the nation, the Automobile Club of Southern California said Friday.

The average price in Los Angeles County rose 9.4 cents this week to 3.42 dollars, erasing the previous record of 3.402 dollars set May 13, 2006.

The Los Angeles County price is 16 cents more than last month and 11 cents more than this time last year. The Orange County price rose 10.8 cents to 3.42 dollars, topping the previous high of 3.371 set May 17, 2006.

Prices in Los Angeles and Orange counties have risen for 13 consecutive weeks.

"This is the fourth year in a row that gas prices have set new record highs in May," Auto Club spokeswoman Carol Thorp said. " About the only comfort that motorists can take from history is that prices generally have dropped every summer after reaching their record prices in May."

The Auto Club provided this breakdown of gasoline prices in selected portions of California and Nevada as of 12:01 a.m. Friday.

Source: Xinhua