Record gas prices scare drivers from the roads

THEMSELVES AS BEING SOMEWHAT LUCKY AMONG THE NATION'S DRIVERS. THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR GAS HAS NOW HIT THE 4- DOLLAR MARK ACCORDING TO A TRIPLE A SURVEY RELEASED TODAY. BUT NEW MEXICO HASN'T CROSSED THAT LINE JUST YET. EVEN SO--NEW MEXICO DRIVERS ARE STILL IN A PINCH. VALERIE CASTRO IS LIVE DOWNTOWN WITH OUR TOP STORY. THE AVERAGE PRICE OF GAS IN NEW MEXICO IS NOW 3 DOLLARS AND 90- CENTS FOR REGULAR UNLEADED. DRIVERS SAY THEY ARE LEFT WITH NO CHOICE BUT TO CHANGE THE WAY THEY GET AROUND TOWN OR SUFFER THE EXPENSIVE CONSEQUENCES. ' i'm getting to the place where i can't afford full tanks anymore.' THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF GAS IS NOW 4 BUCKS AND NEW MEXICAN'S SAY cutting down on driving, less trips to the grocery store... trying to do everything in one time driving and re going to be and we're going to go up even higher.' THERE ARE STILL OPPORTUNITIES TO FIND SO-CALLED BARGAINS... BUT YOU'LL NEED TO SHOP AROUND. 'I looked at the cost here and it's 3.83 and its 3.75 other places.''I'll catch another one on the way home that's a nickel cheaper per gallon so i'm bargain hunting.' SOME DRIVERS ARE TURNING TO OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION LIKE BICYCLES AND TRADING IN GAS GUZZLERS ALTOGETHER. 'Thinking about getting rid of the car and getting something with better gas mileage.'THE HARSH REALITY IS THAT ANYONE WHO NEEDS TO DRIVE CAN EXPECT TO SPEND MORE AND MORE THIS SUMMER. 'The gas prices are going to continue up, the price of oil is going up, i don't see the end of it anywhere time soon.' A NATIONAL SURVEY FOUND THAT STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA IS THE CITY GETTING HIT HARDEST BY FUEL PRICES, PAYING AN AVERAGE OF 4 DOLLARS AND 41 CENTS A GALLON. REPORTING LIVE DOWNTOWN...VC..EW N 4. AGAIN NEW MEXICO DRIVERS ARE GETTING A SLIGHT BREAK AT THE PUMP COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. WITH THE NATIONAL AVERAGE NOW AT FOUR DOLLARS FOR A GALLON OF REGULAR UNLEADED-- NEW MEXICO'S AVERAGE IS TEN CENTS LESS AT THREE-NINETY A GALLON. IN ALBUQUERQUE -- THE AVERAGE PRICE FOR A GALLON IS NOW THREE-EIGHTY A GALLON.// WHILE THE FOUR-