Fuel Prices on the Decline, AAA Reports
18 November 1999
Fuel Prices on the Decline, AAA Reports. Will it start a trend?
BELLEVUE, Wash., Nov. 17 Fuel prices in central and
western Washington have gone down for the first time since President's Day.
This Thanksgiving weekend, the average price of self-serve regular unleaded
gasoline is $1.357 per gallon, a decrease of 8.5 cents per gallon since Labor
Day weekend. However, since Thanksgiving 1998, the average price per gallon
has increased 27.1 cents.
High fuel prices aren't keeping travelers home this holiday weekend.
Favorite destinations for Washington's Thanksgiving weekend travelers are
Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia; the Oregon Coast; and sunny U.S.
cities such as Palm Springs, Los Angeles and Phoenix. AAA projects that
33.8 million Americans plan to travel 100 miles or more during the holiday
weekend, up from last year's 33.6 million travelers.
For the nearly 28 million travelers who will be driving, AAA suggests the
following tips to help conserve gasoline:
-- Keep tires properly inflated. This will reduce the resistance your
vehicle must overcome to start moving and to keep going.
-- Accelerate gently, brake gradually and avoid hard stops. Quick
acceleration and speeds requiring hard braking wastes fuel.
-- Don't let the vehicle idle for more than a few minutes. Idling consumes
half-a-gallon to one gallon of gas per hour and wastes more gas than
restarting the engine.
-- Check the engine oil level when buying gasoline to be sure the engine
is lubricated properly.
-- Combine errands into one trip or go to one location to take care of as
many errands as possible.
-- Pack lightly when traveling and avoid carrying items on the vehicle's
roof, which increases wind resistance.
Other ways to save money on gasoline purchases include not using mid-grade
or premium fuel unless it is recommended by your vehicle's manufacturer,
aggressively shopping for the lowest gas price in your area, and using public
transportation where available or car-pooling to work or school.
Area by Area Comparison of
Self-serve Regular Unleaded Fuel Prices
City Thanksgiving '99 Labor Day '99 Thanksgiving '98
Bellevue 1.392 1.456 1.110
Bellingham 1.389 1.463 1.110
Bremerton 1.359 1.409 1.027
Everett 1.373 1.461 1.110
Lynnwood 1.368 1.455 1.092
Olympia 1.348 1.433 1.108
Renton 1.348 1.414 1.074
Seattle 1.406 1.466 1.110
Tacoma 1.322 1.410 1.069
Tri-Cities 1.247 1.381 1.013
Vancouver 1.342 1.479 1.076
Wenatchee 1.390 1.467 1.109
Yakima 1.357 1.457 1.110
Average 1.357 1.442 1.086
AAA Washington provides more than 616,500 members in western and central
Washington a full range of products and benefits, including full-service
travel agencies and personal lines insurance agencies in each of its
13 service centers; a range of auto-related services; a variety of financial
products, and member discounts on many consumer products and services.
Although its travel and insurance agencies are available to the general
public, AAA members benefit additionally from many special discounts and
exclusive programs. A not-for-profit organization, AAA Washington also assists
travelers through its highway and transportation safety and legislative
advocacy programs. More information about AAA Washington is available on the
company's website at http://www.aaawa.com.
CONTACT: Janet Ray, 425-646-2058, or Jennifer Harbison, 425-646-2055,
both of AAA Washington.