KSFR reporter Mary Lou Cooper interviewed Daniel Armbruster, New Mexico spokesperson for the American Automobile Association, about Memorial Day travel. According to AAA, 45 million people nationwide will be traveling over the upcoming holiday weekend. Here in the Mountain West region where New Mexico sits, 3.6 million of us will get away, mostly by car. Air travel nationally will go up slightly, while here in our region air travel will dip slightly.
Road trip tips
At press time, the average price per gallon of gas in New Mexico was $4.38, compared to just under $3.00 a gallon heading into Memorial Day last year. Yet holiday road trippers appear impervious to soaring gas prices.
- Armbruster says that travel is still a major priority for many families even with higher gas prices. People are getting away at the unofficial start of summer. Travelers may shorten their trips, but they’re still hitting the road. AAA’s best advice is to check pump prices before you start. On the AAA.com web site the gas cost calculator can estimate fuel costs for your road trip. Remember that stations right off interstates can sometimes be more expensive.
- Before heading out, drivers should check the car battery, tire pressure, tire tread and fluid levels. Those are some of the most common roadside issues that leave people stranded. AAA responded to more than 350,000 roadside assistance calls across the country over last year’s Memorial Day holiday—with problems like dead batteries, flat tires, empty fuel tanks and engine issues.
- When it comes to best days and times to drive over the holiday weekend, Armbruster reported that the heaviest Memorial Day holiday traffic congestion is expected Thursday and Friday afternoons and evenings between 3-6 p.m. and again on Monday afternoon. Sunday is expected to be the lightest day for traffic, barring crashes and delays along your route. If your schedule allows, leave earlier in the morning or later in the evening. Give yourself extra time and don’t let frustrations lead to risky driving behavior.
- Key safety tips from AAA while on the road include: buckling up every person in the vehicle; obeying the speed limit because speeding is one of the top contributors to fatal crashes; driving sober and avoiding driving distractions. Also abide by the “slow down, move over” law when you encounter tow trucks, police, Emergency Medical Services and fire vehicles, as well as any disabled vehicle. If you cannot move over a lane, slow down.
Air travel tips
- Get to the airport at least 2 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international flights.
- While TSA issues have been resolved, you still need to have a Real ID compliant drivers license or another acceptable ID such as a valid passport.
- Download your airline’s ap to monitor your flights and use flight tracking tools so you can see delays.
- Travel with a carry-on bag instead of checking luggage to give you more flexibility in case of delays or cancellations.
Top destinations this Memorial Day holiday
· Based on AAA booking data, the top domestic travel destinations this holiday are: Orlando, Seattle, New York, Las Vegas and Miami. Top international destinations are Rome, Vancouver, Paris, London and Athens. Theme parks are popular. And it’s a record year for cruises with 21 million Americans taking them.
Road sounds for this report are provided by “Bus ride ambiance” by miksmusic from freesound.org. CC BY 3.0.
