DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — The 4th of July is Thursday so many of you will be on the roads today to get to where you're going.
FOX43 was at the Highspire Service Plaza on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Dauphin County Wednesday morning to see what motorists are up to ahead of their travels.
It was a pretty active morning on the road and quite a few people stopped at the plaza to rest.
Some individuals say they have plans to drive for hours on Wednesday, yet others say they'd rather stay home for the holiday.
Keith Dolon, a Pennsylvania resident, shared he plans to stay home for the 4th with his family, “taking time away from work...not traveling because the roads are crazy, airfare is too expensive to go hang out with family in North Carolina, Alabama, but unfortunately we won’t get to see them, but we can celebrate on our own and be with our family here and friends.”
Wednesday is predicted to be one of the busiest travel days for the 4th of July holiday. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission expects more than 600, 000 cars to hit the road on this day.
Officials expect to see more than 5-million motorists in total, traveling on the turnpike system from this past week to now.
Doni L. Spiegel, public relations manager for AAA Central Pennsylvania, shared Sunday and Monday are expected to be busy return dates.
"We want to remind drivers to give ourselves plenty of time when traveling. Leave early as possible. The earlier in the day the better. You can avoid traffic and it will give you more daylight to travel," Spiegel said.
AAA also says if you're preparing for a road trip for the holiday, make sure your car is ready to go:
- Get your car battery tested
- Bring spare car and house keys
- Check your tires to make sure they have good tread
- Make sure your phone is charges at all times for GPS and emergency situations
One of the most important things to remember - be mindful of how you're driving on the road.
“As a driver when you're behind the wheel of the car, that there's other folks around you, we're all trying to get somewhere important and we're all traveling with important people with us," Spiegel said.
If you see people and cars on the side of the road, please slow down and move over - it's the law.
"Regardless of if they have the proper flashing lights on or not, just be respectful of their space and make sure they get to where they're going safely to,” Spiegel said.
Travel numbers this week are expected to meet and possibly exceed pre-COVID -19 levels.
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