GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A record number of Americans will be traveling 50 miles or more for Independence Day, with AAA reporting that approximately 42 million people will hit the road.
“Overall, it’s our second-biggest on record. Specifically for automobile travel, which is actually breaking a record despite the high gas prices,” said AAA Wisconsin’s Nick Jarmusz. “We’re expecting about 960,000 Wisconsinites to be taking a drive 50 miles or more from home at some point between now and Tuesday…It’s possible that if the gas prices weren’t as high, that number might be a little higher in terms of travel. But when you look at forecasts over the years, there’s never been a direct correlation.”
Find gas prices near you or along your road trip route.
That puts automobile travel up about 1.3% over last year, and 2% higher than 2019 numbers for the 4th of July weekend. However, a survey last month showed about 30% of respondents planning to stay a bit closer to home.
“Local destinations are going to be very popular this year. That is one of the ways people are going to cope with the higher gas prices,” Jarmusz said.
Whether you’re driving way up-north or staying local, there are a few times you might want to avoid on the road if possible.
“You’re going to want to avoid the evening rush hours today and Friday, because you can have people who are getting a jump start on their holiday trip mixing in with those who are still doing their normal weekday commute,” Jarmusz told WTAQ News. “Even throughout the weekend, the earlier you get on the road, the better. But probably Sunday and Monday, we’ll begin to see the traffic volumes fading out a little as people begin to stagger their returns home.”
Here are the best and worst times to head out, according to INRIX:
Thursday:
Worst time: 2:00-8:00 PM
Best time: Before 7:00 AM and after 8:00 PM
Friday:
Worst time: 12:00-9:00 PM
Best time: Before 10:00 AM and after 9:00 PM
Saturday:
Worst time: 2:00-4:00 PM
Best time: Before 12:00 PM or after 7:00 PM
Sunday:
Low congestion expected all day
Monday:
Low congestion expected all day
Those congested roads combined with either inattentive, impatient, or impaired drivers is also a dangerous concoction.
“In addition to gas prices, traffic fatalities are one of the other things that has been hitting record highs – at least in terms of recent history,” Jarmusz said. “Take it slow, make sure you’re buckling up, put your phone down, and don’t get behind the wheel if you are impaired by alcohol or anything else.”
But for people who might want to get away for a few days, AAA is seeing a major trend.
“We’re seeing more and more outdoors-related stuff. That became really popular during the pandemic, and certainly the national parks and things like that are still places that are really drawing a lot of interest,” Jarmusz said.
2022 Top Independence Day Destinations, according to AAA:
Orlando, FL
Seattle, WA
New York, NY
Anaheim, CA
Anchorage, AK
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Las Vegas, NV
Honolulu, HI
Denver, CO
Chicago, IL
The Wisconsin DOT also reminds drivers to celebrate safety on the roads this holiday weekend.
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