(November 21, 2012)---As drivers put a lot of miles on their cars during Thanksgiving, they're paying more at the pump than a year ago, but they still have reason to be thankful because prices in many parts of the country have fallen recently, and Triple-A says gas prices could finish the year lower than where they started.

The national average Wednesday was $3.43, down 44 cents from mid-September, but still 8 cents higher than a year ago.

Because the price was so high for so much of the year, Americans are likely to spend a record amount for gas by year's end.

The Oil Price Information Service estimates that Americans will spend about $483 billion on fuel this year, topping last year's record of $474 billion.