ATLANTA — An estimated 39 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home this holiday weekend, AAA predicts.
However, that’s a 2.5 percent decrease from the 40 million people who traveled last year. The number of Georgians traveling this year (1 million) is projected to decrease 2.4 percent, AAA said.
“AAA projects a slight decrease in the number of Independence Day travelers as a result of gas prices averaging a dollar more per gallon than last year,” Brent Hubele, vice president, AAA Travel, said in a news release. “As with the Memorial Day holiday, the rising cost of fuel is having a more significant impact on those with lower household discretionary spends and has shifted the demographics of the typical Independence Day traveler.”
Meanwhile, in Georgia, motorists have some good news: The Georgia Department of Transportation is suspending lanes closures related to construction this weekend.
“For the past decade, Georgia averaged about 1,900 crashes each Fourth of July weekend with an average of 16 deaths and another 750 injuries,” Transportation Commissioner Vance. C. Smith Jr. said in a news release. “Enjoy America’s many birthday festivities, but please be very careful while driving and do not drive impaired or distracted.”
There will not be any closures between 5 a.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Tuesday, the department said.
