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Jed Boal ReportingMore than 340-thousand Utahns plan to take a trip this 4th of July weekend. AAA of Utah says that is the greatest number in nearly a decade and most will hit the highway.
One in six people will travel 50 miles or more from home this coming weekend despite gas prices that are a bit steeper than they were last Independence Day. A survey by AAA says many people just feel they're overdue for a break.
Many Utahns are packing their bags and gearing up for a run down the road for the Fourth of July. Eighty-two percent will drive, that means 305-thousand Utahns will be on the roads. Sixteen percent will fly to their destinations.
When the Fourth falls on a Friday AAA says many people add a day or two to make a longer vacation.
Rolayne Fairclough/AAA Utah: ”People are just ready to get out of town. There's been quite a bit of stress. People just feel the need psychologically to have a break right now. "
So, many motorists make one last check of the car.
Gary Hyatt/Automotive Technician: “Business doubles; you gotta have double your crew to get everybody out of town; check your belts your hoses, you name it."
Chris Telesco/Holiday Traveler: “Better safe than sorry. Hate to have anything happen on the road."
Where are people headed? Most say they want to get out of the city and beat the heat. So, they're headed to beaches, lakes, state and national parks, and the mountains.
Kelly McCarthy is off to Flaming Gorge.
Kelley McCarthy/Holiday Traveler: “It's cool and it's green and the fishing is great."
At the pump the price of a gallon of unleaded regular is 13-cents more than it was a year ago. The statewide average is over $1.50, but you'll pay as much as 20-cents more in Moab. Still, people perceive the prices as stable and want to drive.
Rolayne Fairclough/AAA Utah: “It's summer holiday, people have their families with them. They like to have their cars when they go, they like to have their cars when they get there.”
Unfortunately, it can be a dangerous weekend, too. The Utah Safety Council estimates five Utahns could die in crashes during the holiday weekend, but as many as three lives could be saved if every person buckled up.
