Tips for Memorial Day Weekend Travel

Memorial Day weekend – the unofficial beginning of the Summer Vacation Season – is a day away. And AAA Carolinas has some tips for those who plan to get away this weekend. 

It's not the most heavily-traveled holiday weekend of the year, but, as AAA spokesman Tom Crosby explains, when nearly a million North Carolinians hit the road at the same time, it can be deadly nonetheless.    “It is a very dangerous holiday," Crosby says,  "We get 400 traffic deaths a year.  Last year, we had 14 deaths in North Carolina on the road. That was the highest total in the past four years.” And those numbers are likely to increase this year, as the weekend's travel volume is expected to be the highest since 2005.  AAA says Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the 100 deadliest days of driving for teens, as well. 

Prices, of course, are always a concern to travelers.  Costs of lodging are up a bit from last year, as well as food, and fuel.

“We're going to be paying about 20 cents a gallon higher this year in the Carolinas than we did last year. Our prices are staying pretty high --  North Carolina's the 27^th highest in the nation. Boone is the highest in North Carolina at 3.71 a gallon, and Greensboro and Winston-Salem are about 3.59 a gallon which is the lowest average in the state,” Crosby says.

And there is an important warning when it comes to gas:  Don't use E-15 in your vehicle.  As Tom Crosby explains,  “E-15 gasoline means ethanol 15 percent… and it can damage the engines of most cars. Especially older cars and even newer cars, if you use it in your tank, it can void the warranty on your vehicle, and the manufacturer will not pay for the repair. So if you see E-15 on a service station pump, don't use it.”  Only five percent of the vehicles on the road today are approved by manufacturers to run on E-15. Gas stations in a dozen states, mostly in the Mid-West, are selling E-15 fuel, despite warnings by manufacturers and automotive experts of potential engine damage.  Drivers should check decals on service station pumps to ensure they're using the proper fuel, and check owners' manuals for fuel information.

Average national hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are  up 2%  this  year to $169 per night, compared with $166 last year, while AAA Two Diamond rates have risen 3% to $124 per night from $120 last year.  Car rental rates will average $44 per day, up 1% from 2013, and air fares on the top 40 U.S. routes have increased 6% to $227 from $215 last year. 

The most congested times for travel are expected to be Friday afternoon and evening before Memorial Day, with traffic increasing earlier in the day than usual, as well as Monday evening as travelers head back home, tired and sunburned.