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More Than 44 Million Expected To Travel Over 4th Of July Weekend

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- With the Fourth of July falling on a Tuesday, a lot of folks will make it a four-day weekend, so a quick road trip looks pretty inviting.

More than 44 million people are expected to be traveling this holiday weekend, and 37 million of those folks will be traveling by car. With that said, AAA says pack a lot of patience in one of those suitcases.

"The roadways are going to be congested," Jana Tidwell, from AAA Public Affairs, said. "If you can travel during off-peak hours -- early morning, late at night -- you may see a reduction in congestion. If you can travel on the holiday itself, you will see less people on the road."

But why are so many people hitting the highways? Here's the answer from AAA.

"The past four or five years, we've seen lower gas prices, and especially this year, gas prices are at historic summer lows," Tidwell said. "More travelers will take to the roadways than take to the skies, more than any other previous July 4th weekend."

Keep in mind, an average 118 people die on July 4th in car crashes, so stay alert.

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