Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The busy Labor Day holiday weekend is upon us – marking summer’s final hurrah for many.

While the long weekend promises adventure for families, friends, and loved one; AAA Michigan says preparation and safety remain essential to ensuring travelers reach their destinations without incident.

Last Labor Day holiday weekend, AAA responded to more than 383,000 calls from stranded motorists - highlighting the importance of proactive vehicle maintenance and road safety practices. AAA urges drivers to plan their trips carefully and take preventive measures to reduce the risk of car trouble and accidents over the holiday period.

AAA Michigan Spokeswoman Adrienne Woodland said “Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest travel times of the year, and our roadside assistance teams are fully prepared to help those in need. However, taking preventative steps before hitting the road can often mean the difference between an enjoyable trip and an unwanted interruption. A simple vehicle inspection can save time, money, and stress while keeping everyone safer.”

Woodland told WHMI AAA no longer does forecasting numbers for Labor Day but based on what was seen for Memorial Day and 4th of July, expect a very busy travel weekend. She said if you are able to head out a bit earlier, then do so to avoid some of the heavier traffic – noting Friday and Saturday will be some of the busier days in the afternoon and early evening.

For those who are hitting the road this holiday weekend, prepare for steep prices at the pump.

Woodland said gas prices are up this week and the average is around $3.39 for regular unleaded. She noted that’s actually the highest price seen in Michigan all year – and it’s about 20-cents higher than this time last week.

Woodland said one of the major issues for Michigan and some surrounding states is an outage at a refinery in Indiana that happened last weekend due to heavy storms and flooding so until that goes back online, people can probably expect to see elevated prices.

Meanwhile, to ensure safer roads during the busy holiday weekend, AAA is again activating its TOW-2-GO program. The service will operate from 6pm Friday through 6am Tuesday, providing free, confidential rides for impaired drivers and their vehicles within a 10-mile radius. People can call (855) 2-TOW-2-GO. The service cannot be scheduled in advance and is designed for last-minute situations. AAA stresses that ‘Tow to Go’ should only be used as a last resort when no other safe transportation options are available.