July 4 Travel: When Should You Drive Home?

ATLANTA, GA — If you're heading back home after celebrating the Fourth of July, the folks at AAA have some good news and bad news about how the roadways are going to look.

The bad news is that, not surprisingly, the highways are going to be crowded with holiday traffic. The good news is that the worst travel day of the holiday period is behind us and, because of the extended holiday many people have taken, return traffic will be spread out more than "get out of town" traffic was.

"Like Christmas, the Fourth of July always occurs on different days of the week, and as a result, travel patterns will vary depending upon, of course, the day or days after the holiday," said AAA spokesman John B. Townsend II. "Since July Fourth was on a Wednesday this year, many ... took the remainder of the week off."

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The auto club does have a suggestion for which day to avoid in metro Atlanta. Friday is bound to be the busiest day on Atlanta's major freeways, AAA says, with delays increasing 50 percent overall and 150 percent on the busiest highways.

Traffic will be at its heaviest on Friday from 2 p.m.-8 p.m., the group says. The traffic peaks will be more varied on Saturday and Sunday, meaning you've got a better chance at finding clear roadways on those days. The return-travel period stretches from Thursday to Sunday.

According to the auto club, 46.9 million Americans were expected to travel more than 50 miles for Independence Day this year, more than a 5 percent increase over last year and the most since AAA started tracking holiday travel 18 years ago.

The worst day to travel in the Atlanta area this holiday season was Tuesday, especially from 4-6 p.m., when holiday travelers and commuters heading home from work clogged the roads at the same time. During that period, traffic was expected to be 160 percent heavier than normal.

AAA planned to come to the aid of more than 362,000 motorists over the holiday. Dead batteries, lockouts and flat tires were expected to be the leading reasons AAA members will need help. The auto club recommends motorists take their car or truck to a trusted repair facility to perform any needed maintenance before heading out. Oil changes, fluid level checks, battery tests and tire inspections go a long way toward reducing the chances of a breakdown, AAA says.

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