AAA Projects Heaviest Fourth of July Travel Since 2007

Second only to fireworks' literal translation of "the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air," no recreational activity better symbolizes the ideal of American freedom than an Independence Day road trip. That is, at least until you run into holiday gridlock on highways packed with people similarly inspired. Related: After Unexpected Uptick, Gas Prices Start to Retreat According to AAA, an estimated 35.5 million people will hit the road this weekend, traveling 50 miles or more from home. The 2015 summertime travel season is already off to a bottle-rocket-like start, as Memorial Day weekend estimates counted more than 33 million holiday drivers, a nearly 5 percent increase over the year before. While the anticipated increase in travel is about 0.7 percent over the previous year, Fourth of July is still by far the reigning champ of warm-weather weekend getaways, as more students are out of school and families are able to take vacations. "Independence Day is typically the busiest summer travel holiday for this reason, and more Americans are planning a holiday getaway than any year since 2007," AAA said in a statement. Travel numbers are also bolstered this year by an improved economy and employment market, as well as continued low gas prices. While prices in recent weeks had begun creeping back up, last week's AAA Fuel Gauge report logged a slight dip with a downward trend expected to follow, resulting in the lowest July 4 holiday gas prices in five years. But with the spike in travel is an accompanying increase in road-trip bummers like dead batteries, flat tires and lockouts. AAA expects to provide roadside assistance to about 360,000 motorists during the holiday weekend. As frustrating as these mishaps can be, they're minor next to the persistent holiday dangers of drunken driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, during the Fourth of July holiday period in 2013, 512 people were killed in vehicle crashes, nearly 200 (39 percent) of which involved at least one driver or motorcyclist who was drunk. In those incidents, about 20 percent of drivers involved had a blood-alcohol level of .15 or higher, nearly twice the legal limit of .08. Meanwhile, during the Fourth of July holiday periods from 2009 to 2013, 750 people were killed in impaired-driving crashes. To address the problem, NHTSA is promoting two awareness campaigns. The "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign warns motorists that local law-enforcement agencies across the nation will be aggressively targeting drunken drivers during the holiday period and that, "They'll see you before you see them." Meanwhile, the "Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving" campaign seeks to educate the public on the futility — and, more importantly, danger — of splitting semantic hairs when it comes to drinking and driving.

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