Fewer Americans will travel during Memorial Day, AAA says

Fewer Americans will travel this Memorial Day weekend because of record-high gas prices, the American Automobile Association said Thursday.

The association projected that the number of people traveling would drop 1 percent from last year.

AAA said 37.9 million Americans would travel more than 50 miles from home during the weekend. Eighty-three percent of them are expected to use an automobile. The number of people traveling by automobile also is expected to decrease by 1 percent.

“Many Americans are feeling a financial pinch this Memorial Day from record high gasoline prices and other factors in the economy,” Martha M. Meade, a spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said in a statement. “Despite the small decrease, we will still see a significant number of people traveling for the holiday weekend. More than 12 percent of the U.S. population will be celebrating Memorial Day weekend away from home.”

The national average gas price is $3.78 per gallon, AAA said Thursday, up 39 cents from a month ago.

Memorial Day is May 26.