LAYTON — Heading out of town this weekend? Prepare for rising gas prices, crowded roads, busy national parks and traffic delays over the next few days.

AAA predicts more than 39 million travelers will commute during the Memorial Day weekend, the highest number of travelers since 2005.

That includes at least 3 million travelers from the Rocky Mountain states — a 3.5 percent increase from last year. Between Thursday and Monday, most travelers will spend their vacation more than 50 miles away from home.

Gas prices will rise due to the increase in road travel. As of Thursday, the national average price was $2.37. In Utah, the average is almost 10 cents higher at $2.46.

'100 deadliest days'

Memorial Day weekend also marks the beginning of the "100 deadliest days" for driving. The number of fatal car crashes nearly doubles between Memorial and Labor Day on Utah roads.

Utah Highway Patrol Col. Michael Rapich said the department is sending out additional officers to watch for motorists who are driving dangerously.

"We want everyone to have a great weekend," he said. "But let’s get you where you’re going and let’s get you home safely.

So far this year, 88 people have been killed on Utah roads in traffic accidents. Human error is the cause of 94 percent of fatal accidents, according to UDOT.

"Last year, four people lost their lives during the Memorial Day weekend due to traffic crashes," Rapich said. "We want zero this year."

UDOT spokesman John Gleason said many people think the summer months are safer than winter months. The opposite turns out to be true.

"There’s more people out on the road, more traffic, people aren’t contending with the winter weather, so there’s a false sense of security," he said. "I think we all tend to feel like we’re a little bit safer than we are."

According to the road safety group Zero Fatalities, a majority of accidents happen during the day, on dry roads with clear weather.

"We really ramp up for this time, it’s the busiest time of year," Rapich said. "During the 100 deadliest days, based on what we’ve seen in the recent years, we average about one death a day during the days of summer."

BaiLee DiBernardo lost her life when two distracted drivers struck her and a friend in a crosswalk last year. Her mother, Kristina Morris, and other family members shared her story at a media event with UDOT and the highway patrol on Thursday.

"As we hear about these distracted driving stories, we think it won’t happen to us," Morris said with tears in her eyes. "But anytime you’re taking your eyes off the road, you’re leaving room for that to happen to you. It only takes a couple seconds of taking your eyes off the road to take somebody’s precious life."

Her 17-year-old daughter was first struck by a truck whose driver had leaned over to pick up a drink in the passenger seat. A second distracted driver thought the girl's body was a pile of laundry in the road and hit her again.

"I’m sharing her story in hopes that I can bring awareness to distracted driving, that it is a real issue,” Morris said.

Holiday travel tips

The American Red Cross suggests the following for driving safely:

• Be well rested and alert, use your seat belts, observe speed limits and follow the rules of the road.
• If you plan on drinking alcohol, designate a driver who won’t drink.
• Give your full attention to the road. Avoid distractions such as cellphones.
• Use caution in work zones. There are lots of construction projects underway on the highways.
• Don’t follow other vehicles too closely.
• Make frequent stops.
• Clean your vehicle’s lights and windows to help you see, especially at night. Turn your headlights on as dusk approaches, or during inclement weather.
• Don’t overdrive your headlights.
• Don’t let your vehicle’s gas tank get too low. If you have car trouble, pull as far as possible off the highway. With the influx of travelers on the road, UDOT also cautioned drivers to expect delays or restrictions near the following locations: - I-80 off-ramps at Foothill Drive in Salt Lake City
• I-215 from S.R. 201 to 4700 South in Salt Lake County
• S.R. 248 from U.S. 40 to Kamas in Summit County
• I-15 from Exit 4 to Exit 5 in St. George Work on most UDOT projects across the state will be suspended and all possible lanes of traffic will be open to help cut delays during Memorial Day weekend. To save money on the roads, AAA suggests checking gas prices now and purchasing gasoline for recreational vehicles before the actual holiday weekend. The cost of gasoline is also typically cheaper in town than near the freeways.

For travelers staying in Utah, weather should be sunny and warm, with highs in the 70s, according to the National Weather Service forecast. Check the KSL Weather Page here.

But the most important thing to remember, Gleason said, is committing to driving safely this weekend.

"You can’t control the actions of other people on the road," he said. "But you can control what’s happening in your own car." Email: astilson@deseretnews.com

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