Millions of New Englanders are expected to hit the roads to celebrate the 4th of July holiday, and AAA wants to make sure drivers are prepared before they head out.
AAA estimates a record-breaking 2.3 million New Englanders will travel for the holiday, and 2 million of them will choose to drive. With gas prices down around 6 cents nationally, it’s shaping up to be the busiest 4th of July weekend ever both regionally and nationally, AAA said.
Drivers should make sure their car is road-worthy before taking off. AAA expects to respond to more than 338,000 calls for assistance this weekend, primarily for issues like flat tires, battery issues, and lockouts.
“There are some things that you can do to avoid being one of those statistics,” explained Amy Parmenter of AAA. “We encourage them to get their batteries and tires checked before they hit the road. Make sure the tire pressure is good. Make sure that your fluids are good to go. And really get your car road ready.”
It’s a good year to travel – on top of lower gas prices, car rental rates are down around 14 percent from this time last year, and hotel costs are about the same as last year. Air travelers are also in luck, with airfare around 10 percent lower than this time last year.
