According to AAA, today is one of the busiest travel days of the year. Many travelers are hitting the road today in anticipation of the long holiday weekend. And lest you think that the record high gas prices are fueling families to put the brakes on their Fourth of July travel plans, think again. The drop in numbers should be barely recognizable.
A new AAA report out today forecasts that 40 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more over the Fourth. That represents a 1.3% drop from last year and the first decline in 10 years. However, travel analysts are quick to point out that the decline could be attributed to the fact that the Fourth falls on a Friday this year, making this a true holiday weekend. So, instead of millions of Americans splitting their travel between the weekend before and after a midweek Fourth, most of the movement on our nation’s highways will be concentrated during a single extended weekend.
The AAA report also notes that more than 34 million Americans (almost 85% of the total) intend to travel by automobile, a 1.2% decrease from last year. That follows on the heels of the group’s Memorial Day forecast, which correctly predicted that the number of Americans traveling by car during that holiday would drop by nearly one percent.
Sky rocketing gas prices are also to blame for families choosing to stay closer to home. As of today the average retail price for regular gas is $4.07 per gallon, according to AAA. That’s 13 cents higher than Memorial Day, and a whopping $1.10 higher than this time last year. The federal Energy Information Administration projects the price will peak at $4.15 in August. It’s a prediction that is not falling on deaf ears.
According to a survey by Rand McNally, 66% of Americans who plan to take a road trip this summer say that rising gas prices have prompted them to change their plans. Nearly 60% said they will reduce the number of days and/or distance driven, though only 10% said they will cancel their travel plans because of the high cost of gas.
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