GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — If you've been thinking about changing your summer travel plans due to rising gas prices, you're not alone. A survey from GasBuddy is giving insight into the summer tourism season amid record-high prices.
GasBuddy's summer travel survey, which is administered each year, showed that over 70% of participants had their travel plans impacted by gas costs. Despite this, 58% plan on taking summer road trips—a rise from 2021, when gas prices were $1.50 lower.
Currently, gas prices are breaking records across the country. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas is now $4.50.
"Against a backdrop of gas prices that have continued to set new records ahead of Memorial Day, Americans have been resilient in their desire to hit the road, but we're certainly seeing increased hesitancy due to rising prices at the pump," said GasBuddy's head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan. "Soaring inflation has led to uncertainty over rising costs.”
Memorial Day is still expected to be the busiest travel weekend, with Independence Day and Labor Day trailing behind.
Between high inflation and rising gas prices, many survey participants said planning their trips has become more difficult. In tandem, GasBuddy reports that high inflation has led to consumers buying fewer products instead of stocking up.
To save money on gas, the experts at GasBuddy encourage driving with steady acceleration and braking to increase fuel economy, looking online to find the best gas prices and signing up for gas station rewards.
To see GasBuddy's full summer travel report, click here.
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