Highways to fill up this Memorial Day weekend

FONTANA, Calif. About 2.5 million Southern Californians are predicted to get out of town this Memorial Day weekend and 84 percent of them will be driving, according to the /*Automobile Club of Southern California*/. That is eight percent more people taking trips than last year around this time.

The average price for regular unleaded gas is higher than last year's average. In the Los Angeles and Long Beach area, you can expect to pay an average of $3.03, compared to last year's average of $2.65 per gallon. In Orange County, it is about $3.02 a gallon. It was $2.64 last year. In the Inland Empire, gas is averaging at about $3.01. In Ventura County, gas is about $3.05 per gallon which is a 39 cent increase since last year's average.

The Auto Club reports despite gas prices costing between 30 to 40 percent more than last year, the otherwise sagging economy have shown signs of life and pump prices have gone down over the last week or so giving more people the confidence to travel.

Four out of the top five destinations for southern Californians this weekend are just a two hour drive away.

Top Destinations for Southern Californians

• Palm Springs
• San Diego
• Big Bear Lake
• Las Vegas, NV
• Santa Barbara

The California Highway Patrol reminds motorists that they will be out in full force this weekend making sure that people get to their destinations safely. They are also asking the public to keep an eye out for drunk drivers.

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