AAA says 1.7M Michiganders are traveling for July Fourth

AAA Michigan predicts more people will travel by land, sea and air this Fourth of July season than any other time since it began keeping records for the holiday in 2001.

The auto club reported a significant drop-off in travelers during 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But spokesperson Adrienne Woodland says the numbers are again approaching historic levels.

“Here in Michigan, we’re expecting more than 1.7 million Michiganders will take a trip of at least 50 miles or more away from home. And that’s 76,000 more holiday travelers than this time last year,” Woodland shares.

Woodland says over 70,000 Michigan residents are expected to fly to destinations — which is not a record number. But nationally, the more than four million air travelers AAA predicts to take the skies would set an all-time high.

AAA actives ‘Tow to Go’ for Fourth of July drivers

Fourth of July celebrations can lead some people to have a bit too much holiday cheer.

But there’s a program in place to help both inebriated drivers and their vehicles get home safely.

AAA Michigan’s Tow to Go program is a free service that will tow a vehicle and give its driver a ride back to any safe location within a 10-mile radius.

Woodland says the program’s geared for those who do not have a designated driver available to get them home safely.

“By providing this program, AAA gives drivers no excuse for driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol or impairing medication,” says Woodland. “However, we encourage people to treat Tow to Go as the last resort.”

Woodland warns tow trucks may not be available in some rural areas or if there’s severe weather — in part because the auto club anticipates having to rescue almost 400,000 drivers with vehicle problems nationwide during the holiday travel period.