Experts predict 15% of Americans will take to the highways as they celebrate Independence Day across America — but officials and experts offer warnings and wisdom to promote public safety throughout the holiday weekend.
According to the Bureau of Traffic Safety, even the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis has done little to stifle Fourth of July travel plans. While overall trips did decline by 2.8 million last year compared with records set in 2019, the number of long-distance trips actually rose, even during the pandemic’s summertime peak.
“The number of long-distance trips (50 or more miles) edged up by 2.7 million from 2019 to 2020. That slight increase was driven by a 15.5 million rise in the number of trips between 100 and 250 miles, which was tempered by a 13.5 million drop in the number of trips greater than 500 miles,” the agency reported.
