Falling gas prices are still very high

Mike Dang  |  05:12 PM, Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Every fall, motorists breath a collective sigh of relief as fewer vacationers spend time on the road, and gasoline prices begin to drop.

This fall, gasoline prices have dropped once again, but are still very high compared to previous years . The Los Angeles Times reports that the average price for a gallon of gasoline in California is currently $3.835 — breaking the record high of $3.601 for the week set in October 2008.

The national average is currently at $3.433, but was below $2.90 in 2010, and below $2.75 in 2009, according to historical price charts by GasBuddy.

It's a huge financial burden during a time when consumers are trying to cut back. Cutting back on gas consumption is harder to do than cutting back on things like dining out because driving is the only way many commuters get to work.

A former-California native, I'm glad to be living in a city where public transportation is so accessible.