The average price for a gallon of regular gas in the US is $3.96, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. According to the Lundberg Survey, published this weekend, the average price for a gallon of regular gas topped the $4 mark . In July 2008, gas reached a record high price of $4.11. Lundberg says gas prices may have already peaked this season and predicts prices will fluctuate over the next few weeks.
Posts By: JC Strodula
Record High Gas Prices in Several States
Gas prices have increased every day this week, even though the price of oil has been dropping. The current average for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in the US is $3.98, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report.
Wisconsin’s average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline reached a new all-time high of $4.115 today, surpassing the previous record of $4.111 set on July 17, 2008. In Michigan, a gallon of regular gas climbed to $4.26, which tops the states record high price of $4.21, set in July 2008.
In West Virginia, gas prises rose 5 cents to $4.155 per gallon, surpassing the previous all-time high of $4.12 a gallon reached in July 2008. In Indiana, the average price of a gallon of regular gas hit a record high price of $4.25. The previous record high was $4.17 a gallon, set in September 2008.
The New York Mercantile Exchange reported that oil futures settled at $99.80, down $9.44 or 8.6 percent for the day. This is the first time since March 16 that oil prices closed below $100.
Fleet Tracking Study Shows 25% Reduction in Vehicle Maintenance Costs
Fleet managers who used a GPS fleet tracking system reported a nearly 25% reduction in downtime and costs from maintenance management, according to a recent study published by TrackNet. The results were announced this week in a company press release which also discussed some of the myriad benefits and solutions that a fleet tracking system can provide.
The study mentioned several fleet tracking benefits, including a reduction in fleet maintenance costs and and increased driver safety. In example, driving at 70 mph takes 159% more horsepower and burns excessive fuel when compared to driving 50 to 55 mph. Speeding means more wear and tear on the engine, resulting in higher fuel and maintenance costs. Each mile per hour above the ideal 50 to 55 mph a vehicle drives increases its fuel consumption by 1.5%.
A telematics based GPS fleet tracking system enables fleet managers to monitor speeds and encourage drivers to drive slower, therefore protecting the vehicle fleet.
Diesel Gas Prices Top $4.50 A Gallon in California
The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in the US is currently $3.94. Current prices are 17 cents less than the highest ever recorded price, $4.11, set in July 2008. One month ago gas prices were averaging $3.61. One year ago US gas prices were averaging $2.88.
The average price for diesel fuel in the US is $4.15 per gallon.
Gas Prices Rise for 34th Consecutive Day
Gas prices increased for the 34th consecutive day. The national average for a gallon of unleaded regular gas is $3.86, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. Gas prices are more than $1-a-gallon higher than a year earlier and less than 25 cents away from the record high price of gasoline set in July 2008. (The record price set in 2008 is $4.11.)
FieldLogix Launches Fuel Efficiency Driver Training Program
ieldLogix, an industry leading GPS fleet tracking system, has launched an online Fuel Efficiency Driver Training Program. Training that targets fuel efficiency can help drivers recognize and change driving habits that waste fuel. Even highly experienced truck drivers can boost their skills and enhance driving performance through fuel efficiency driver training programs.
A few simple changes in driving techniques can produce sizable fuel savings of 5 percent or more, according to the EPA. Fleets that improve fuel economy by at least 5 percent through driver training and monitoring programs can save more than $1,200 per truck each year in fuel costs and eliminate 8 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per truck each year.
Justice Dept Says Warrant-less GPS Tracking is Legal
GPS tracking without a warrant, law enforcement and 4th Amendment rights: The legal system has been quite divided over whether law enforcement must obtain a warrant before placing a GPS vehicle tracking device on a suspect’s car. In some cases, if someone is caught doing something illegal, and 1) the GPS tracking system information was used to convict him or her and 2) the GPS tracking system was placed by law enforcement without a warrant, convictions are not possible or overturned. But in other cases, courts have upheld the use of evidence obtained by placing a GPS tracking device on a suspect’s car without a warrant.
This week the US Justice Department entered the legal debate over GPS tracking, law enforcement and 4th Amendment rights. The Justice Dept is appealing a lower court ruling that reversed a criminal conviction because the police did not obtain a warrant for the GPS tracking device they secretly installed on a man’s car during a D.C. drug-trafficking investigation.
Last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit reversed the life sentence of a Washington area man named Antoine Jones, saying the government violated Jones’ privacy rights in clandestinely tracking his movement for a month in a drug trafficking investigation. The initial ruling last summer says police can’t use GPS tracking technology to track a suspect’s car without getting a warrant. The full court, in a 5-4 decision last fall, refused to reconsider the decision. Now, the Justice Department, in a last-ditch effort, wants the Supreme Court to review the decision, arguing that it has broad implications for law enforcement across the country.
Gas Prices Rise For 28 Consecutive Days
Gas prices have climbed for 27 consecutive days. Many experts and analysts see no immediate relief anytime soon.
The current average for a gallon of regular gas in the US is $3.83, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. This is up six cents from a week ago, 29 cents from a month ago and 96 cents from a year ago. The average price for a gallon of regular gas has topped $4 per gallon in 6 states and Washington DC.
Due to bearish market influences, crude oil settled down $2.54 at $107.12 at the close of formal trading on Monday, April 18, 2011. This marks the first time in more than a month that we have seen a week-over-week decrease in crude oil prices to begin a week. All this comes after oil prices set a multi-year high on Friday, April 8, only to tumble nearly six percent to begin last week.
Despite the slight drop in oil prices, gas prices have continued to rise. As the change from winter-blend to summer-blend gasoline is taking place in many parts of the country, most drivers have continued to see the price of filling their gas tank climb higher.
GPS Based Inhaler Helps Identify Triggers of Asthma Attacks
Asthma is a very common illness. Worldwide, over 300 million people suffer from the inflammatory condition. Each year, is is estimated that over 250,000 people die from asthma attacks.
Asthma attacks are triggered by different things in different people. For example, my nephew always starts wheezing whenever he is near a grassy area such as a park or field. But his mother, my sister, only has asthma attacks whenever she is near second-hand smoke from cigarettes or cigars.
Because asthma attacks are triggered by different things in different people, doctors usually ask patients to track when and where their asthma attacks occur. Based on this concept, epidemiologist and medical anthropologist David Van Sickle has come up with a GPS add-on for asthma inhalers. Van Sickle’s company, Asthmapolis, created Spiroscout, a GPS based asthma inhaler, so doctors and asthmatics patients can identify the triggers of their asthma attacks.
When you have an attack and reach for your inhaler, the GPS tracking device will record the time and location of the attack; it can then either store or send the data to a remote server. It’s hoped that then a patient or doctor will be able to see patterns in when an attack happens, and what caused it–be it pollen or a chemical substance.
Vehicle Tracking System LoJack Used to Track Children and Elderly
Anyone who has seen an elderly loved one deteriorate from Alzheimer’s, or seen a child suffer from Autism, can tell you just how devastating and heartbreaking both of these situations can be. Wandering seems to be a frequent occurrence for many Alzheimer’s or Autism patients. Many expert estimates have reported that if not found within 24-48 hours, many elderly patients end up dying or severely hurt. It’s really important to know this if you live somewhere with extremely hot or cold temperatures outside because people are at more risk when they wander off.
The companies that brought you vehicle tracking devices for stolen cars have designed a system made for tracking people. Widely known for its vehicle tracking system, LoJack is now trying to educate people about how its technology can be used to track the elderly and autistic children. The GPS tracking system is called SafetyNet. There’s no question that the SafetyNet tracking devices can save lives and give caretakers peace of mind.
A GPS tracking device can help caretakers to monitor vulnerable family member whereabouts without invading their privacy or taking away their independence. A GPS tracking system can help family members keep tabs on an individual from hundreds or thousands of miles away.