MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — A record number of Americans are traveling this holiday weekend, according to a report from AAA’s Mid-Atlantic division.
Spokeswoman Tiffany Stanley said that because July 4 falls on a Thursday, that opens up two weekends for travel.
“Our forecast actually includes two weekends,” Stanley said. “Historically, we’ve only planned for one weekend of travel, but because this holiday falls on a Thursday, we’re seeing people take the whole week off.”
Cars are the preferred mode of transportation this year, but an estimated 6 million people will travel by plane. The number of 6 million people traveling by plane is an all-time high, breaking the previous record set in 2019.
“The majority of people will be travelling by car, just over 60 million people,” Stanley said. “That’s 2.8 million more travellers on the road than last year.”
Stanley says gas prices are down slightly from last year. But travelers tell them gas prices aren’t the biggest factor to consider this tourist season.
“People prioritize travel, so no matter what the cost, they always say, ‘Hey, we still want to go on vacation with our families,’ and they make room in their budget to do that.”
Stanley added that it is also important to plan your trip to avoid the weekend periods that are expected to be the most congested. It will be important to consider traffic patterns that develop through Thursday.
Avoid roadside problems that could lead to longer commutes or stranding by having your car professionally checked before you head out on your trip. She said summer heat can be harder on a car than the freezing temperatures of winter, so this is a good place for motorists to start.
“We’re going to be rescuing hundreds of thousands of people from the side of the road this week,” Stanley said. “So it’s important to have your vehicle inspected before you hit the road.”
