Labor Day travelers discuss plans, gas prices, and traffic

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — With Labor Day weekend underway, travelers are already on the road. Gas prices and traffic conditions remain an annual concern.

According to AAA, the nationwide average cost of gas is around $3.81 per gallon. The average cost for a gallon of gas in South Carolina is around $3.43 per gallon. That’s down almost 30 cents per gallon from one month ago.

Aaron Hawkins and his family are on their way to Hilton Head Island from North Carolina and is pleased to see the lower gas prices.

“It was definitely kind of a shock actually. Ours is around the $3.70 $3.80 range and it was kind of a nice surprise to see $3.30 in South Carolina. I’ve always known it was cheaper but not quite that much cheaper,” says Hawkins.

With gas prices on the decline, Supervisor Hellena Bowman with MRT Supportive Services says she expects a lot of people on the road.

“And boy this is gonna be a weekend! So here we’re definitely gonna have some traffic. Our traffic will be high, probably until Monday,” Bowman says.

Matt Smith with Hilton Head Christian Academy says he and his group of high schoolers try to avoid the Labor Day weekend traffic.

“We chose to come a little earlier this time because last year traffic was really bad. It took us about 8 hours to get back,” says Smith.

AAA also reports domestic bookings for cars, flights, tours, and cruises are up by 22% from last year.