AAA has launched the latest version of its AAA Mobile wireless navigation program, with several new features including fuel prices, live traffic alerts and weather forecasts.

AAA's TripTiks and route guidance, restaurant and lodging information and member roadside services will all be accessible via AAA Mobile. The new features let drivers to get prices at several gas stations near their current location and live traffic alerts with alternative navigation routes.

"Two of the biggest concerns for motorists are fuel prices and traffic, and these new features of AAA Mobile address those," said Christie Hyde, spokeswoman for AAA, Orlando, FL. "Networks In Motion is an expert in this area, and we've been partners with them since the product launched last August.

"They've definitely leaders in the mobile field and have a lot of expertise," she said.

With fuel prices a worry for many motorists, AAA Mobile users can quickly find the best prices by receiving a list of gas stations with prices nearest to their current location or in a specified ZIP code or city.

Once motorists find a station, AAA Mobile will provide audible turn-by-turn directions on how to get there.

Whether driving in out-of-town traffic or on the daily commute, AAA Mobile's new real-time traffic feature helps motorists find out what's ahead and offers alternatives on how to get there.

AAA Mobile alerts motorists to traffic congestion, accidents and other new developments on their route and provides detour options to compare against their current estimated time of arrival.

Also,AAA Mobile allows users to take a look ahead at the weather by providing current conditions and seven-day forecasts for their current location or any city around the world.

"New features are slowly being rolled out over next few weeks," Ms. Hyde said. "We're continuing to modify and progress our product offerings to meet the needs of consumers, both AAA members and non-members."

AAA Mobile can also help find which movie theaters nearby are playing a certain movie, provide start times, navigate users there and list nearby restaurants to consider for dinner.

Using the mobile activity planning feature, AAA Mobile users can search for show times, critics' ratings and other details for movies, concerts, plays, sporting events and other social events near their GPS location.

Users can navigate to theaters or event venues and search for local parking, restaurants, ATMs or other points of interests near the location.

AAA Mobile users can let friends know where they are with a push of a button by sending their GPS location to another wireless phone.

When sending to other AAA Mobile users, friends receive the address and can navigate to the sender. With non-users, the sender's location's address is delivered via text message.

In addition to offering turn-by-turn audible directions with on-screen maps, AAA Mobile continues to provide users with AAA's travel expertise in their wireless phone with AAA TourBook travel guide information, including complete listings of AAA Diamond Rated restaurants and lodgings and points of interests.

AAA Mobile also offers listings for ATMs, more than 100,000 Show Your Card & Save merchants, AAA-Approved Auto Repair facilities, AAA branch offices and other types of businesses.

For those users who are AAA members, they can send their GPS location directly to AAA and be connected to roadside assistance operators.

AAA provides more than 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. It claims to be North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization.

AAA Mobile, powered by Networks In Motion, will launch on several wireless carriers and be available on a variety of GPS-enabled phones during the next couple of weeks.

The service is currently available on Sprint, Alltel and Verizon. AAA plans to add another major carrier today. Both AAA members and non-members can subscribe.

AAA Mobile typically costs $9.99 per month, depending on the carrier. Some carriers offer a free trial of the service.

Current users can upgrade to the latest version of AAA Mobile at no additional charge. They will receive a prompt on their phone when the new version is available to download.

A complete listing of providers, pricing and compatible phones is available at http://AAA.com/AAAMobile.

As part of its motor sports program, AAA Mobile advertised on NASCAR driver David Ragan's racecar.

AAA also just concluded the Races & Bases Sweepstakes presented by AAA Mobile. Consumers watched a video about AAA Mobile at http://aaa.com/aaamobile then entered online.

The grand prize was a trip to Boston to watch a Red Sox game with David Ragan and tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Race at New Hampshire International Speedway the next day.

AAA will send out email blasts to promote its mobile service. But the majority of the marketing will be handled by the 50-plus regional clubs nationwide.

"A growing number of people are looking for the convenience of having everything they need in their pocket, on their mobile phone," Ms. Hyde said. "We're always looking at what consumers need and what information they're asking for, so we're always looking to modify our products.

"It's all about an evolution, evolving to meet the needs of consumers," she said.

AAA stresses that its mobile services are more than just a GPS device.

"There are several programs out there that offer navigation via mobile, but there's much more than how to get from point A to point B with AAA Mobile," Ms. Hyde said. "What's unique about AAA [is] we do have more than 100 years of expertise, which is a huge differentiator.

"We're a leader in travel industry, and we're taking all that knowledge -- diamond reviews of restaurants and hotels, information about events, attractions, traffic and weather -- and making it available on your mobile phone," she said.