RICHMOND, Va. -- More than 47 million Americans are expected to travel for the Independence Day holiday, including more than 1.3 million Virginians.
According to AAA, despite gas prices hitting their highest in seven years, more than 91 percent of this holiday travel will be done by car. Another 3.5 million people plan to fly to their destinations.
These estimates are signs that Americans are ready to hit the roads again after putting off holiday travel during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For those traveling, there's a good chance that many will be around a body of water during the holiday weekend. In order to stay safe, Jonathan McNamara with the Red Cross shares the following advice.
"Make sure you know the swimming ability of everyone in your group, that you're prioritizing swimming areas that are supervised by trained professionals, lifeguards. Make sure you have proper safety materials, a first aid kit if possible. And be sure you're checking with local officials for any rules in place in your locality that can help you enjoy the water safely. That goes for boating as well, making sure you're boating only in areas designated for it and you have the proper life vests on those crafts. That's going to make you enjoy the holiday that much safer," McNamara said.
Triple-A says that the best time to avoid traveling home after the holiday weekend is mid-day Monday and says the best time to be on the roads is before 1 p.m.
