Gas prices have held at their highest price of the year – $2.66 – for one week. And motorists are seeing fluctuating prices at the pump from state to state with jumps as high as 12-cents in Utah and declines as much as 7-cents in Michigan since last Monday.

“Gas prices are only a penny away from topping the $2.67 high of 2017,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “The price is likely to increase as spring brings warmer weather and the switchover to summer blend gasoline, but hopefully we will only see mild jumps in coming weeks.”

Gas prices have edged higher this week following the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest weekly report that showed gasoline inventories dropped by 1.1 million bbl. Additionally, demand for gasoline remains robust at 9.2 million b/d and is more in line with demand levels at the same time in 2017.

Quick Stats

The largest yearly increases are: California ($3.52, +54 cents), Hawaii ($3.52, +47 cents), Idaho ($2.89, +44 cents), Utah ($2.81, +42 cents), Arizona ($2.67, +40 cents), Nevada ($3.07, +40 cents), Oregon ($3.10, +35 cents), Maine ($2.66, +33 cents), Rhode Island ($2.64, +33 cents) and South Carolina ($2.43, +32 cents).

The nation’s top ten most expensive markets are: California ($3.52), Hawaii ($3.52), Washington ($3.19), Alaska ($3.17), Oregon ($3.10), Nevada ($3.07), Idaho ($2.89), Pennsylvania ($2.87), Washington, DC ($2.83) and Utah ($2.81).

4 Minute Friday

This week's topics:

1. Left-lane hoggers
2. Distracted driving - It's dangerous!
3. More potential privacy issues with digital IDs

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Mar. 29, 2018) ― Distracted driving tops drivers’ list of growing dangers on the road, according to a new survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The annual Traffic Safety Culture Index shows that 88 percent of drivers believe distracted driving is on the rise, topping other risky behaviors like:

Aggressive driving: 68 percent

Drivers using drugs: 55 percent

Drunk driving: 43 percent

The proportion of drivers who report talking on a cell phone regularly or fairly often when behind the wheel jumped 46 percent since 2013. Nearly half (49 percent) of drivers report recently talking on a hand-held phone while driving and nearly 35 percent have sent a text or email. Despite their behavior, nearly 58 percent of drivers say talking on a cellphone behind the wheel is a very serious threat to their personal safety, while 78 percent believe that texting is a significant danger. A recent study from the AAA Foundation shows drivers talking on a cellphone are up to four times as likely to crash while those who text are up to eight times as likely to be involved in a crash.

“With more than 37,000 deaths on U.S. roads in 2016, we need to continue finding ways to limit driving distractions and improve traffic safety,” said Dr. David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “The Foundation’s work offers insight on drivers’ attitudes toward traffic safety and their behaviors, so we can better understand the issue and identify potential countermeasures to reduce crashes.”

If you’ve ever gone to Airpark Auto Service, chances are, you’ve met Aaron Nelson who has worked there for 25 years. Most people say that Aaron has been more than a service advisor to them; he has become their friend.

Recently Airpark Auto Service was sold and is under new ownership. Aaron Nelson decided it was time for him to make a change too. So, Aaron Nelson has gone to work at Tri-City Transmission & Auto Repair in Tempe.

“It’s been an awesome experience,” said Nelson “and I will miss all of the friends and customers I have worked with over the last 25 years.”

Nelson has seen a lot of changes in the last 25 years when it comes to the vehicles, but when it comes to customers, their expectations always remain the same. Customers want to work with a business they can trust, who values them as a customer and as people. Nelson is glad that he can continue that kind of service at Tri-City Transmission & Auto Repair.

Nelson is excited for his new adventure at Tri-City. He’s worked with them as a customer for most of his 25 years at Airpark Auto Service and he knows that they too, have the same philosophy when it comes to taking care of customers and their cars.

Nelson says, “If I wouldn’t sell it to my parents, I won’t sell it to my customers,” and the folks at Tri-City Transmission have been treating people the same way for over 45 years.

Tri-City Transmission & Auto Repair has been in business in Tempe for over 45 years. They provide full-service auto repair and are Phoenix’s transmission experts. To contact Nelson at Tri-City, call 480-968-5062.

The latest Hankook Tire Gauge Index reveals what's driving Americans to hit the road this season

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 27, 2018 -- With this year's harsh winter weather finally coming to an end, it's no surprise that drivers are eager to get out and about. According to the latest Hankook Tire Gauge Index, for many this means it's time for a break, as more than half of Americans (55 percent) are planning to take a spring vacation this year.

More than half of Americans are planning to take a spring vacation, according to the latest Hankook Tire Gauge Index.

So where are they going? Following the bitter cold winter, drivers are determined to get warm: Hankook found that 31 percent of drivers who are planning to take a spring vacation this year are headed to the beach. And according to the Gauge, Americans are up for driving the distance to get there, as 58 percent say they plan to drive more than 100 miles for their next road trip.

Whether driving with family or friends, there's usually a debate over which car to take. Hankook Tire found that the roomiest ride wins. A third of drivers (33 percent) prefer to take the biggest car, followed by the best maintained car (27 percent) and the car with the best gas mileage (26 percent).