21-05-2025
Southern California AAA Memorial Day weekend roadway travel advice
Travel experts say there will be record-breaking numbers on the roadways this weekend for the third consecutive year as the Memorial Day holiday marks the unofficial start of summer.
Doug Shupe with AAA Southern California said that 3.6 million residents are anticipated to travel 50 miles or more this weekend, a nearly 4% increase from last year.
He said the vast majority, 2.9 million, will be taking road trips beginning Thursday and continuing through Monday.
The best times to leave for travel is "as early in the day as possible," Shupe said. Traffic is expected to pick up Thursday after noon, with the 5 Freeway predicted to be one of the busiest stretches from Los Angeles to Bakersfield. He said the trip usually takes 90 minutes, but on Friday afternoon it will likely take three hours.
Shupe advised that vehicles be thoroughly inspected before taking to the roads, as AAA anticipates responding to 95,000 stranded roadside drivers in California. He also reminded drivers that even though gas prices are about 35 cents less per gallon than last year, gas stations away from the freeways will generally have lower prices. "Also remember, don't speed. Most vehicles will maximize fuel economy at 50 mph, and then it starts to drop after that. If you reduce your speeds by 5-10 mph, you can increase your fuel efficiency by 14 percent," Shupe said.
With so many people on the road, Shupe is advising drivers to be on the lookout for roadside rescuers and stopped vehicles.
"We're talking about tow-truck operators, but also police officers, firefighters, paramedics, Caltrans workers … if you can safely get out of that lane closest to the emergency vehicle, you should do that. If you can't get out of that lane, you need to slow way down," Shupe said.
The California "Move Over Law" only applies to stopped emergency vehicles and trucks displaying flashing lights, but Shupe said AAA is working to expand that law to all stopped vehicles.
