AAA: Cheap gas means 2016 will be a record year for miles driven

Gas prices in the Charlotte region and rest of the U.S. keep inching up as temperatures and fuel demand rise.

As of early Tuesday, the average price of a gallon of unleaded gas in the Charlotte area had risen 3 cents over the week, according to auto group AAA. North Carolina’s gas prices had also risen 3 cents over the week, and South Carolina’s rose 5 cents. The national average gas price climbed 3 cents.

Relatively cheap gas encourages more people to drive, and AAA says 2016 is slated to be a record year for gas consumption and annual miles driven. Though average gas prices are up, they are still the lowest for this time of year since 2009.

Drivers could expect to pay some of the lowest gas prices this summer in more than a decade, AAA added.

Below are the average gas prices in the Charlotte area, which includes Gastonia and Rock Hill, the Carolinas and the U.S. AAA surveys 120,000 stations nationwide to determine average prices.

This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 8:05 AM with the headline "AAA: Cheap gas means 2016 will be a record year for miles driven."