RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — If you’re heading out of town for the Memorial Day long weekend, be prepared to wait in traffic or long airport lines.
AAA is predicting that almost 1.2 million Virginians will travel during Memorial Day weekend this year. Most of them — a little over 1 million, to be exact — are expected to hop in the car for the weekend, while thousands of others will fly or take trains and buses.
This marks a 6% increase in travel since last year and just 2% below pre-pandemic travel numbers in 2019. If these expected travel numbers prove correct, this will be the fourth busiest Memorial Day weekend in just over 20 years. That means packed roads, airports and bus stations.
AAA Mid-Atlantic is expecting to help out over 6,500 drivers during the holiday weekend. Last year, most service calls were for tows and battery problems. To avoid car issues throwing a wrench into your weekend plans, so try to squeeze in a tune-up and pack an emergency kit just in case.
“No one wants to be left stranded on the side of the road,” AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson Morgan Dean said. “Catching up on routine maintenance, getting your oil and fluids checked and checking your battery and tires can go a long way in making sure your car is road ready.”
