British drivers continue to be hit by rising fuel prices weeks after record highs set in April 2012 were broken. The RAC, a British automotive services company, said the average price of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts on Thursday was 146.14p ($1.96), while diesel was 149.66p. Petrol prices exceeded the long-standing record of 142.48p on Oct. 24, while diesel’s peak of 147.93p was broken a week later. The RAC’s figures are based on data provided by Experian Catalist. The average cost of petrol and diesel has increased by around 32p per litre in the past 12 months. This has made it approximately £18 more expensive to fill a typical 55-litre family car. RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “Drivers are desperately in need of some respite at the pumps, but it’s hard to see when that’s going to come and it could well turn into an excruciatingly expensive winter …