HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Summer travel will be very different this year. More people on the road means more people at the pumps, and you can expect some changes in gas prices this Fourth of July weekend.
"It's going to be a really busy travel summer," said AAA Alabama Public Relations Manager Clay Ingram.
Ingram says more people will be on the road this year.
"It's just so much pint up demand that people are really anxious to get out and about to go somewhere," said Ingram.
"AAA Alabama says travel numbers are almost as high as they were pre-pandemic in 2019 and even higher than 2018. There's a big demand for it. They also say 94% of people will be traveling by automobile," said Ingram.
On July 4th weekend, Ingram says the demand will have some effect on prices at the pump.
"Our gas prices are higher for this 4th of July than they have been for this fourth of July since 2014," said Ingram.
The average now is about $2.81 at least seven years ago, the price was $2.75.
This summer he's expecting it to go up a few pennies, but nothing to be alarmed over.
"And that's pretty normal as we approach this Fourth of July holiday weekend as prices bump up a little bit," says Ingram.
He says demand is what drives the prices.
"It always fluctuates a little bit. It's always tied to demand. And the higher our demand is the higher the prices are going to be. So we're kind of in the neighborhood this year. But a little bit higher than we typically see," said Ingram.
Ingram says if you do plan to travel sometime during the summer, it's best to do it soon.
"Places are filling up and selling out. So if you're planning to go anywhere, you need to be sure you plan as far in advance as possible," said Ingram.