Most people will head onto the road beginning this weekend.
SAN ANTONIO — We’re just one week away from the Fourth of July, but Texans are hitting the highways as early as this weekend. Many of our friends will be hitting the highways and flying the friendly skies.
AAA says starting this Saturday and through the Sunday after July 4, close to six million Texans will travel for the Independence Day holiday – now the highest number of Texans traveling for the Fourth of July holiday on record.
“The reason why we see record travel is because of the number of people traveling by car, that a lot of people are taking road trips this summer,” Daniel Armbruster, a AAA spokesperson said.
4.9 million Texans will take road trips this 4th of July and 564,000 people say they’ll be flying to celebrate the holiday. Plus, 244,000 plan to take a train, bus, or even a cruise.
When it comes to the roads AAA suggest avoiding the afternoon commutes starting this Monday and when people return home next weekend. They also encourage drivers to be prepared and avoid roadside problems.
“We saw 700,000 roadside assistance calls across the country last year, so it is really important to make sure that you have done everything you can to avoid roadside emergency,” Armbruster said.
AAA has also launched their summer safety driving campaign to make sure drivers are not distracted – including keeping an eye out for emergency vehicles and tow trucks.
“We lose 24 roadside workers every year in the United States, so it is really dangerous to be on the side of the road when you have an emergency,” Armbruster said.
Lastly, AAA says to remember the “Slow Down Move Over” law in Texas, where if you see an emergency vehicle with their lights on, you must move over a lane or slow down 20 mph below the posted speed limit.