SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – AAA is predicting record-breaking numbers across the Palmetto State for Memorial Day travel in 2024. Experts say many Memorial Day weekend travelers will be driving more than 50 miles this year.
Some of the travelers made a brief stop at the Landrum Welcome Center in Spartanburg County Friday morning.
“I'm heading down to Florida to see my girlfriend and we're going to the beach,” Debbie Cohen told 7NEWS that she and her husband, Mike Cohen, decided to drive instead of flying this year to avoid the risk of contracting COVID-19 on an airplane.
“I'm not ready to fly again yet, but I have a vehicle that's capable enough to get me out here so I'm just going to enjoy it, not just look down but see some other places,” Cohen said.
AAA expects Memorial Day weekend travel numbers to reach pre-pandemic levels and be up 4% from last year.
Like the Coens, Amy Heminger and her husband, Todd, are also planning a trip south over Memorial Day weekend.
“We're heading to Florida on a cruise to celebrate the triplets' graduation,” Hemminger said.
AAA experts recommend that motorists double-check their wipers, tires and batteries before setting off, and they also recommend leaving early in the morning or late at night, when traffic is lightest.
“If you're traveling by car, the busiest times are between noon and 5 p.m., but if your travel plans allow you to leave before 11 a.m. or after 7 p.m., those times will likely be the lightest traffic,” says AAA's Tiffany Wright.
Wright said the highway is historically busiest on Sundays and Mondays between 3pm and 7pm.
