MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — AAA Mid-Atlantic is forecasting a busy Labor Day travel holiday weekend, but not as busy as recent holidays.
The total travel numbers are down slightly due to school, college, and work routines returning to normal for many families. Spokesman Jim Garrity said leaving on either end of your trip is the best policy to follow when traveling by car.
“On Sunday you could see it slow down a little bit, and then it heats back up again on Monday when people are all coming home at once, and even into Tuesday a little bit,” Garrity said.
Reports indicate domestic round-trip flights are slightly cheaper compared to last year, and summer gas prices have remained low, matching summer averages of four years ago.
“Prices on plane tickets, prices on rental cars, and prices on hotels are all lower domestically, and that’s giving people a little bit more of a reason to head out to the airport,” Garrity said.
Gas prices are beginning to creep up, but current prices are the lowest they’ve been since Labor Day weekend of 2020. Prices in West Virginia range from $2.90 to about $3.10 per gallon.
“But, we talked about it before, and those high gas prices don’t deter people from traveling,” Garrity said. “I think it’s going to be a little added bonus that they’ll spend a little bit less at the pump than last year.”
Garrity reminds motorists that all 50 states have a version of a move-over law when vehicles of any type are on the shoulder. Reports of impaired drivers are also on the rise, and that’s something drivers should prepare for, according to Garrity.
“If you’re going to choose to celebrate, and there’s nothing wrong with that as long as you have a plan in place to get home safely,” Garrity said. “That plan has to include either a sober driver, a ride share, or whatever.”