Increased numbers of drivers hitting the roads for 4th of July

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – The July 4th holiday is looking to be one of the biggest travel events the U.S. has seen in a while. It is expected that 71-million people are going to be traveling this Fourth of July, and 60.6 million of those travelers will be driving.

The number is a 5% increase compared to last year’s July 4th, and compared to numbers before the COVID-19 pandemic, an 8% increase. One possible reason for the increase in travel since the pandemic is that many people now work remotely, allowing them to change their location but still work if needed.

“Folks are often taking a vacation day to leave ahead of time so that way they are already where they are going to be on the fourth, for that holiday itself, so people aren’t actually traveling so much on the holiday, but ahead of time,” said AAA Spokesperson Mark Schieldrop.

For some, what used to be a 4th of July long weekend vacation has turned into a week long vacation. This past weekend the TSA reports already checking in a record number of people. The volume of travel on the roads is expect to be high throughout the week, all the way until next Monday.

AAA told 22News that the general rule of thumb when driving to your destination is to leave earlier in the morning because the afternoons become busy fast. On Saturday, avoid leaving in the morning between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., as that is when it is expected to be busiest. On Sunday, avoid traveling in the afternoons from 2 to 8 p.m., and on Monday, the afternoons are also expected to be busy between 1 and 5 p.m.

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