Record July 4 travel expected in 2-state region, across U.S.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – It’s the start of another busy holiday travel weekend for Georgia and South Carolina residents.

Georgians will travel in record numbers for Independence Day. AAA forecasts more than 1.6 million Georgians will take at least one trip of 50 miles or more between Friday and Tuesday. That’s 68,000 more holiday travelers than the previous record high, set last year.

Nationally, travel figures are also expected to set new records. An estimated 50.7 million Americans are forecast to travel for the holiday weekend. That’s nearly 2.1 million more travelers than last year’s holiday and almost 1.8 million more than the previous high, set back in 2019.

Nearly 85% of all travelers will take a road trip. AAA predicts 43.2 million Americans will drive to their destinations. In Georgia, more than 1.4 million are forecast to take a holiday road trip. That’s over 41,000 more than last year.

Prices at the pump will be well lower this year than last. The Georgia average gas price was $4.31 per gallon on July 4, 2022. So far this summer, gas prices have been somewhat erratic, but the state average has remained below $3.39 per gallon, thanks to the lower cost of oil.

A record-setting 4.17 million Americans will fly to their destinations this Independence Day weekend. That surpasses the previous July Fourth weekend air travel record of 3.91 million travelers, which was set in 2019.

An estimated 124,463 Georgians are forecast to fly this year. That’s over 12,000 more than the previous year.

Officials expect 260,000 people to pass through the world’s busiest airport in Atlanta on Thursday alone.

Transportation Security Administration workers say Friday will be one of the busiest days, with 370,000 people passing through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Delays and cancellations kicked off the week due to weather mixed with logistics issues. United was the leader in cancellations Thursday across the country due to bad weather at its hub in Newark. Their CEO is blaming the FAA for staffing shortages and not being able to handle the number of flights.

“There needs to be more resources for air traffic control. That’s why we’re hiring 1,500 more controllers this year. We’ve got plans for another 1,800 controllers next year,” said Pete Buttigieg, transportation secretary.

Delays and cancellations remained relatively minimal Thursday at Hartsfield-Jackson.

On the road

If you’re driving, know that troopers will be out on the roadways watching you in both Georgia and South Carolina.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol said troopers will be out in full force in both marked and unmarked cars because this is their busiest weekend of the year.

AAA said if you are heading out of town, the best time to hit the road is before noon.

With more people on the road, troopers said you should be extra careful and patient behind the wheel.

South Carolina troopers responded to 1,036 crashes across the Peach State during last year’s July Fourth weekend, with a dozen of those being deadly.

The top three reasons for those crashes were:

• Driving too fast.
• Not yielding to the right of way.
• Improper lane changes and usage.

Lance Cpl. Lena Butler with the South Carolina Highway Patrol said it is important to go back to the basics to avoid ruining your holiday weekend.

“I can’t stress enough how important it is to buckle up, be mindful of posted speed signs and look out for other drivers as well,” Butler said. “We never want to see anyone get into an accident. That’s why we do enforcement, so we can decrease the number of fatalities and collisions that we see on our roadways.”

Butler also said if alcohol is a part of your holiday celebration, make sure you have a designated driver or use a ride-share app like Uber or Lyft.

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