Taxes or gasoline: What drives up cost of driving in California?

So, or gasoline total yearly costs, CA'ians pay less than the average for the nation.  That's a surprise...until you read why. 

CA'ians drive less.  And why would that be?  That's easy:  the cost of gas is too high!!

But the total cost for operating a car in CA is very, very high...

Taxes, not gasoline prices, are the reason California is the state with the second-highest cost for operating a car, Bankrate.com contends.

Californians pay an average $1,809 in taxes and fees for their cars, the financial website said. That’s almost double the national average of $1,058.

Overall, Californians pay an average of $3,966 annually to operate a vehicle. That compares with a national average of $3,201.

Drivers here pay an average of $980 for gasoline, slightly below the $1,028 average.