Statewide Iowa — If you’re hitting the road this Memorial Day holiday weekend, you’re not alone. Triple-A expects some 37-million Americans to travel this holiday weekend.
For those traveling by car, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is after being cooped up for more than a year, we’re finally able to resume something resembling a normal life. The bad news is that Triple-A says motorists will be greeted with the most expensive Memorial Day weekend gas prices since 2014. According to Triple-A, while the national average has stabilized following the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack, pump prices are likely to fluctuate leading up to the holiday weekend.
Over the past weekend, the national gas price average declined a penny to $3.03, the first decrease in two weeks. While barely cheaper on the week, the average is 17 cents more than last month and $1.12 more expensive than last year.
If you’ll be travelling by car this weekend, Triple-a offers some road trip tiips: Make a good BET before hitting the road by getting your battery, engine and tires checked; consider refueling when your gas tank level hits ¼ of a tank; fill up before arriving at your vacation destination, since gas prices are likely to be cheaper outside of popular travel destinations; use your Triple-A app to find the closest gas station on your route. You can always call ahead to confirm their pumps are flowing; do not leave home without an emergency roadside kit. Include a mobile phone and car charger, first-aid kit, blankets, drinking water, a flashlight with extra batteries, a basic toolkit, warning flares and jumper cables. Don’t forget extra snacks or meals, as well as cleaning supplies, including disinfecting wipes.
And finally, buckle up, slow down, put down your phone and arrive alive.
