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RALEIGH -- Gas prices in the state are close to the national average right now, but soon North Carolinians will be paying more at the pump. The current state average is $3.25 a gallon, the same as the national average. Starting the first of the year, a new gas tax will cost drivers even more.

"We're gonna be one of the highest in the country, I believe," said driver Chris Shupe.

Next month, North Carolina will have the nation's sixth highest gas tax rate. The four cent boost will take the state tax to nearly 40 cents a gallon. Add the more than 18 cent federal tax and North Carolinians will be paying more than 57 cents a gallon in taxes for gasoline.

The North Carolina Petroleum and Convenience Marketers don't want another increase since it already went up in June. They say the lower tax rates in Virginia and South Carolina hurt stores here.

"People drive through North Carolina because people going up on I-95 know what prices are and they're not going to stop in a state where prices are higher, so we're losing motor fuel tax there," said Gary Harris from the NC Petroleum and Convenience Marketers.

During the General Assembly's session last month, the state House voted to cap the gas tax. The Senate didn't get to it. So flyers have popped up at gas stations around the state encouraging drivers to write their state senators to cap the tax when they go into short session next year.

But on Nov. 29, senators said the budget the General Assembly passed relies on the increased gas tax for things like road construction and repair projects.

"To pass just an arbitrary cap and to really create havoc in connection with projects communities have been promised and communities have been expecting is not the way to do this," said Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham).

AAA of the Carolinas expects prices to stay about the same price for the rest of this week, which is good news for drivers heading out of town for the new year before the tax hike takes effect in 2012.