Lower Gas Prices to Continue for Holidays

By The News Service of Florida

Florida motorists paid an average of $2.79 a gallon for regular unleaded gasoline Monday, down 12 cents from a week earlier. And the average price is expected to remain under the $3 mark as millions of Floridians are expected to hit the roads for the end-of-the-year holidays, according to the AAA auto club.

“If current trends continue, holiday travelers will find the lowest gas prices in years,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said in a prepared statement.

An estimated 7.5 million Floridians are expected to travel at least 50 miles during the holidays, including traveling by roads, air and such things as buses and cruise ships, according to AAA. Also, many tourists will drive in the state, as Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Tampa are among the top 10 year-end destinations in the country.

Nationally, motorists paid an average of $2.91 a gallon Monday, down 4 cents from a week earlier, according to AAA. Florida drivers paid an average of $3.12 a gallon at this time last year, while the national average was $3.02.

“Barring any major disruptions, prices are likely to stay relatively low into the new year,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a news release.