LOS ANGELES --- Three straight weeks of gas price declines have brought only slight relief at the pump for Southern California drivers, with most area gas price averages dropping by less than 10 cents from their records, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $4.564 per gallon, which is 3.3 cents less than last week, 10 cents higher than last month, and $1.47 above last year. In San Diego, the price is $4.526, which is 5 cents lower than last week's price, 3 cents above last month, and $1.42 higher than last year.

On the Central Coast, the average price is $4.625, down 4.1 cents from last week, 10 cents above last month, and $1.31 more than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $4.528, 4.3 cents under last week, up 6 cents from last month, and $1.45 higher than last year.

"Gas prices have dropped by about half a penny a day in most areas this last week," said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. "Often when prices hover at near-record levels as they are now, we see average prices that are very similar in different areas. The difference between the lowest and the highest gas price averages in Southern California is less than 10 cents right now."