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Editorial
Good news, bad news for Fourth of July holiday
Thursday, June 30, 2016
It could be a great weekend if you plan to travel, but it could also be one of the worst, according to AAA Nebraska.
Starting today and extending through Monday, July 4, nearly 43 million Americans will be traveling 50 miles or more away from home.
It will be the cheapest travel in years if gasoline prices are taken into account, with U.S. drivers saving about $20 billion on gasoline so far this year compared to the same period in 2015.
Most of us, 85 percent, will drive to our destination, but air travel is expected to be up as well, 2 percent, with 3.3 million Americans flying over the holiday period.
Cheaper oil means lower jet fuel prices, with air rates down 9 percent compared to last year, an average round-trip costing $207.
But AAA, which makes its money helping stranded motorists, expects to rescue some 370,000 of them this weekend, and reminds motorists to make sure their vehicles are in good condition before heading out on a long-distance road trip.
And, make sure you are sober and alert for drivers who aren't.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that the Fourth of July is one of the deadliest because of drunk-driving crashes.
During the 2014 holiday weekend alone, 164 people were killed in crashes involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.
Those preventable deaths made up 41 percent of the 397 people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes over the holiday period.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that on average, more people die in motor vehicle crashes on Independence Day than any other single day of the year.
It is definitely the deadliest day for motorcyclists, with an average of 26 deaths on our nation's roadways.
To prevent such tragedies, AAA says motorists who plan to drink should always plan to have a non-drinking designated driver or arrange for alternative transportation. Any driver who sees a potential drunk driver on the roadway should report it immediately.