AAA Travel Forecast for Memorial Day Weekend

AAA says more than 37 million Americans will be traveling this Memorial Day Weekend. That's the highest number the holiday has seen in ten years. AAA's travel forecast predicts that 88% of Memorial Day travelers will be taking cars to their holiday destinations, which is a more than 5% increase in automobile traffic from last year.
 
AAA New York's Robert Sinclair says there's good reason for the holiday exodus.
 
"It's a really big rebound from the doldrums of 2008 when the economy tanked and we were down to 30 million [travelers], and we think the economy getting better is a major reason--but also gasoline," Sincalir said. 
 
Sinclair explains that gasoline prices are down $1.00 since last year, which makes a long distance trip of up to 900 miles (one thousand miles or more and most people will take a plane) a little more feasible for the average American budget.
 
Sinclair also points out how an especially harsh winter can give many people a bad case of cabin fever. He predicts that a large number of Americans will be seeking a change of scenery this Memorial Day.
 
"Our members take pretty significant long distance trips even thought it's just a three day holiday," Sinclair said. "Folks take advantage of any time off that they get to go see those destinations that perhpaps they haven't seen in a while."
 
However, Sinclair warns motorists about the three primary causes for roadside assistance that AAA encounters: flat tires, dead batteries, and lockouts. He recommends drivers check their tire pressure according to the recommended PSI (pounds per square inch) in the vehicle manual, check their car batteries by examining the exterior for debris that might interfere with the connection, and check their pockets and purses to make sure they have their keys before locking their vehicles.
 

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