AAA Texas says more Texans are planning road trips this Labor Day than last year. The organization says 4% more people are planning trips despite increases in gas prices.
"It's the last hurrah for summer for sure, and a lot of people will be taking advantage of it," says AAA Texas' Daniel Armbruster.
The statewide average for regular is $3.42, six cents higher than this time in 2022.
AAA says three refineries along the Gulf Coast also had to shut down as a result of Hurricane Idalia, but Armbruster says the storm is not likely to have a large impact on gas prices.
"That certainly could have at least a minimal impact on supply for a couple days," he says. "We might see some fluctuation over the next couple days because of high demand, but because this happened in Florida, it might not have as big an impact on Texas."
The greater weather impact on Labor Day road trips in Texas will be heat. The National Weather Service says parts of North Texas could reach 100 degrees each of the next four days.
AAA urges people to carry an emergency kit in their cars when they're planning road trips. The kit should include things like jumper cables and tools. For road trips this weekend, Armbruster says people should also carry bottled water in case they break down.
Road surfaces are also hotter, so Armbruster says people should make sure their tires are at the right pressure before leaving home.
"If you're diving on under-inflated tires, with the excessive heat on the surface of the roadway, that can cause the sidewall of your tire to fail," he says. "At highway speeds, that can be extremely dangerous."
Armbruster says AAA has seen 7% more calls for issues related to the heat in August than in July. He says flat tires and dead batteries are the most common calls they get in the summer.
Armbruster urges people with batteries that are three years old to have them checked by a mechanic before leaving for a road trip.
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