GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A new holiday travel survey has been put out by GasBuddy breaking down just how many Americans plan to hit the road to see family and friends.
With gas prices at their lowest since 2015, the GasBuddy survey found 34% of Americans are planning to drive home for the holidays.
The survey also shows 39% of those traveling say they are planning on crossing state lines.
Nearly 60% say COVID-19 has impacted their travel plans, and while most people are staying put this year, 10% say they will make the drive in a car this year instead of taking a plane or train.
GasBuddy projects the national average price to be $2.19 per gallon on Christmas Day. “That's about 40 cents lower than last year,” says Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "It has not been hard to find gas prices sporadically under $2 a gallon this year. So, if there's anything comes out of COVID -- a lot of it's been bad -- but gas prices have been good for the majority of the year. And that may continue for the next few weeks, at least through the holidays. But if we do see success with a vaccine, that will likely eventually boost demand and prices in the future. So, kind of enjoy it while it lasts."
De Haan says if you do hit the road and stop to fill up, remember to take proper safety precautions at the pump and sanitize.
