ARTICLE
More than 115,000 Delaware residents expected to travel for Memorial Day weekend, a 5 percent increase over last year, says AAA The unofficial start of summer is here and with it, plenty of travel plans for Memorial Day. According to AAA’s first travel forecast of the summer season, more than 115,000 Delaware residents will travel (50 miles or more) over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, representing a 5 percent increase over last year. Kicking off the summer driving season, nearly 103,000 Delaware travelers (or 89 percent of all local travelers) will drive to their destinations. The Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday, May 24 to Monday, May 28. “The unofficial start of the summer season is here and Delaware residents are ready to kick off the Memorial Day weekend with a trip,” said Ken Grant, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “After a brutally long winter, locals are ready to pack up the car to enjoy sun and sand to start the summer travel season.” 2018 Delaware Memorial Day Travel Trends • 2018 will mark the fourth consecutive year for Memorial Day travel growth. • More than 115,000 Delaware residents will travel (50 miles or more) over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, representing a 5 percent increase over last year (fourth straight year of growth). • Road Trips Rule: Nearly 103,000 Delaware residents – or 89 percent of local holiday travelers – plan to drive to their destination. This is a 4.9 percent increase over last year (fifth straight year of growth). • Air Travel Climbs Considerably: Almost 9,700 Delaware travelers plan to fly to their Memorial Day destination, representing a 7.4 percent increase from last year. • Motorists will pay the highest Memorial Day gas prices since 2014. • Busiest travel days/times will be Thursday and Friday (May 24 and 25), as afternoon commuters mix with holiday travelers. 2018 Projected Memorial Day Holiday Travelers Delaware NUMBER OF TRAVELERS Total Population 2018 Travelers Percent of population traveling Percent change vs. 2017 Delaware TOTAL Auto, Air & Other 961,939* 115,433 12.0% +5.0% Delaware Auto 89% of people travel by car 102,927 10.7% +4.9% Delaware Air 8% of people travel by air 9,619 1.0% +7.4% National TOTAL 328.1 million* 41.4 million 12.7% +4.8% National Auto 88% of people travel by car 36.6 million 11.1% +4.7% National Air 8% of people travel by air 3.1 million 01.0% +6.8% *U.S. Census Bureau/IHS Global Insight (v2017) Nationwide, AAA projects 41.4 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a 4.8 percent increase last year and the highest travel volume since 2005. Kicking off the summer driving season, 36.6 million travelers will be driving to their holiday weekend destination. Higher Gas Prices Not Deterring Travelers The 89 percent of Delaware residents who will travel by car will not be deterred by the recent increase in prices at the pump. “Despite paying the most expensive Memorial Day gas prices since 2014, holiday weekend road trips are expected to increase for the fourth straight year,” said Grant. “The 2018 summer driving season, which begins with Memorial Day weekend, could see the average family paying $1,318 for gasoline, $225 to $250 more than 2017.” Historical Memorial Day Gas Prices 5/21/2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 Delaware $2.89 $2.35 $2.25 $2.62 $3.60 $3.51 Wilmington $2.90 $2.37 $2.24 $2.63 $3.60 $3.52 Milford/Seaford $2.87 $2.34 $2.25 $2.64 $3.61 $3.50 Dover $2.88 $2.35 $2.24 $2.60 $3.59 $3.49 Maryland $2.92 $2.39 $2.33 $2.69 $3.66 $3.52 National $2.93 $2.37 $2.32 $2.74 $3.66 $3.63 AAA to the Rescue Last Memorial Day weekend (May 25-30, 2017), AAA helped more than 32,000 stranded motorists in the Mid-Atlantic territory, with 1,280 of those in Delaware alone. The most common calls for service were tows, battery and tire issues. Road Trip Ready While some maintenance and repair tasks are best left to certified automotive technicians, there are several basic items motorists can easily check themselves between trips to their auto repair facility, including the following: Windshield Wiper Blades – If wiper blades are worn, cracked or rigid with age, they will not adequately remove rain, grime and other debris that can obscure driver vision. If the wiper blades are sufficiently deteriorated, the metal wiper blade frame could contact and permanently damage the windshield. Tire Pressure – Check and adjust tire pressure, including the spare. Always inflate tires to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended settings—not the maximum pressure molded on the side of the tire. Tire Tread – Check the tread depth by inserting a quarter upside down into a tire groove with Washington’s head facing outward. The tread should cover part of Washington’s head. If any of the area above Washington’s head is visible, it’s time to start shopping for new tires. Battery – Have your battery checked, especially if it is over three years old. Summer heat breaks down the battery internally and accelerates the rate of corrosion on vehicle’s battery terminals. Travel Planning Resources AAA recommends motorists have their vehicles inspected by a trusted repair shop, such as a local AAA Car Care Center or one of the more than 7,000 AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities across North America. Members can download the AAA Mobile app, visit AAA.com or call 1-800-AAA-HELP to request roadside assistance. AAA’s projections are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Markit. The London-based business information provider teamed with AAA in 2009 to jointly analyze travel trends during major holidays. AAA has been reporting on holiday travel trends for more than two decades. The complete AAA/IHS Markit 2018 Memorial Day holiday travel forecast is available here.
More than 115,000 Delaware residents expected to travel for Memorial Day weekend, a 5 percent increase over last year, says AAA The unofficial start of summer is here and with it, plenty of travel plans for Memorial Day. According to AAA’s first travel forecast of the summer season, more than 115,000 Delaware residents will travel (50 miles or more) over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, representing a 5 percent increase over last year. Kicking off the summer driving season, nearly 103,000 Delaware travelers (or 89 percent of all local travelers) will drive to their destinations. The Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday, May 24 to Monday, May 28. “The unofficial start of the summer season is here and Delaware residents are ready to kick off the Memorial Day weekend with a trip,” said Ken Grant, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “After a brutally long winter, locals are ready to pack up the car to enjoy sun and sand to start the summer travel season.” 2018 Delaware Memorial Day Travel Trends • 2018 will mark the fourth consecutive year for Memorial Day travel growth. • More than 115,000 Delaware residents will travel (50 miles or more) over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, representing a 5 percent increase over last year (fourth straight year of growth). • Road Trips Rule: Nearly 103,000 Delaware residents – or 89 percent of local holiday travelers – plan to drive to their destination. This is a 4.9 percent increase over last year (fifth straight year of growth). • Air Travel Climbs Considerably: Almost 9,700 Delaware travelers plan to fly to their Memorial Day destination, representing a 7.4 percent increase from last year. • Motorists will pay the highest Memorial Day gas prices since 2014. • Busiest travel days/times will be Thursday and Friday (May 24 and 25), as afternoon commuters mix with holiday travelers. 2018 Projected Memorial Day Holiday Travelers Delaware
NUMBER OF TRAVELERS
Total Population
2018 Travelers
Percent of population traveling
Percent change vs. 2017
Delaware TOTAL
Auto, Air & Other
961,939*
115,433
12.0%
+5.0%
Delaware Auto
89% of people travel by car
102,927
10.7%
+4.9%
Delaware Air
8% of people travel by air
9,619
1.0%
+7.4%
National TOTAL
328.1 million*
41.4 million
12.7%
+4.8%
National Auto
88% of people travel by car
36.6 million
11.1%
+4.7%
National Air
3.1 million
01.0%
+6.8%
*U.S. Census Bureau/IHS Global Insight (v2017)
Nationwide, AAA projects 41.4 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a 4.8 percent increase last year and the highest travel volume since 2005. Kicking off the summer driving season, 36.6 million travelers will be driving to their holiday weekend destination. Higher Gas Prices Not Deterring Travelers The 89 percent of Delaware residents who will travel by car will not be deterred by the recent increase in prices at the pump. “Despite paying the most expensive Memorial Day gas prices since 2014, holiday weekend road trips are expected to increase for the fourth straight year,” said Grant. “The 2018 summer driving season, which begins with Memorial Day weekend, could see the average family paying $1,318 for gasoline, $225 to $250 more than 2017.” Historical Memorial Day Gas Prices
5/21/2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
Delaware
$2.89
$2.35
$2.25
$2.62
$3.60
$3.51
Wilmington
$2.90
$2.37
$2.24
$2.63
$3.52
Milford/Seaford
$2.87
$2.34
$2.64
$3.61
$3.50
Dover
$2.88
$2.60
$3.59
$3.49
Maryland
$2.92
$2.39
$2.33
$2.69
$3.66
National
$2.93
$2.32
$2.74
$3.63
AAA to the Rescue Last Memorial Day weekend (May 25-30, 2017), AAA helped more than 32,000 stranded motorists in the Mid-Atlantic territory, with 1,280 of those in Delaware alone. The most common calls for service were tows, battery and tire issues. Road Trip Ready While some maintenance and repair tasks are best left to certified automotive technicians, there are several basic items motorists can easily check themselves between trips to their auto repair facility, including the following: Windshield Wiper Blades – If wiper blades are worn, cracked or rigid with age, they will not adequately remove rain, grime and other debris that can obscure driver vision. If the wiper blades are sufficiently deteriorated, the metal wiper blade frame could contact and permanently damage the windshield. Tire Pressure – Check and adjust tire pressure, including the spare. Always inflate tires to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended settings—not the maximum pressure molded on the side of the tire. Tire Tread – Check the tread depth by inserting a quarter upside down into a tire groove with Washington’s head facing outward. The tread should cover part of Washington’s head. If any of the area above Washington’s head is visible, it’s time to start shopping for new tires. Battery – Have your battery checked, especially if it is over three years old. Summer heat breaks down the battery internally and accelerates the rate of corrosion on vehicle’s battery terminals. Travel Planning Resources AAA recommends motorists have their vehicles inspected by a trusted repair shop, such as a local AAA Car Care Center or one of the more than 7,000 AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities across North America. Members can download the AAA Mobile app, visit AAA.com or call 1-800-AAA-HELP to request roadside assistance. AAA’s projections are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Markit. The London-based business information provider teamed with AAA in 2009 to jointly analyze travel trends during major holidays. AAA has been reporting on holiday travel trends for more than two decades. The complete AAA/IHS Markit 2018 Memorial Day holiday travel forecast is available here.