QUICK VOTE   How will you spend Labor Day? Bask on the beach Barbecue in the yard Shop 'til you drop Sit on the porch and swing Must work as usual View Results VIDEO CNN's Kalin Thomas-Samuel reports on the safety of air and highway travel during holidays. Windows Media 28K 80K Where travelers say they'll go for Labor Day Bright lights, big cities - 23 % Town and country - 20 % Beaches - 19 % Mountains - 14 % Lakes - 8 % State or national parks - 5 % Amusement parks - 3 % Undecided - 6 % Source: AAA Auto Club South Visit CNN.com's online travel and leisure resources: Looking for a last minute deal on airfare? Try our Reservation Desk City Profiles: In-depth guides to more than 50 cities Pursuits: Guide to getaways and day-trips World Maps and Guides: Maps and related site links Find out how to get there with our Driving Directions CNN Weather Forecasts SEE ALSO: Having a cookout? Here are some ideas for your menu MESSAGE BOARD Holiday Travels -- Share with us your holiday adventure or horror stories

Labor Day holiday a time to hit the road

Bustling cities may draw more travelers than balmy beaches

September 3, 1999
Web posted at: 3:26 p.m. EDT (1926 GMT)

(CNN) - On the weekend intended to give United States workers a day of rest, an estimated 34.8 million Americans are expected to climb into their drivers' seats or board an airplane for a short Labor Day getaway.

Using a Travel Industry Association survey of 1,500 adults, the American Automobile Association (AAA) projects that most of those people -- some 29.2 million -- expect to travel by car. And if these estimates prove correct, cities will be more popular destinations than beaches, mountains or lakes.

AAA projections show that the number of Americans traveling over the 1999 Labor Day weekend should approach the record set in 1997, 34.9 million travelers.

Fueling the car will cost an average of 18 cents more per gallon than it did last year -- the AAA Fuel Gauge Report shows an average price of $1.255 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline.

The AAA estimates that close to a quarter of the traveling public will head for urban areas, outdistancing such other traditionally popular getaways as rural and beach excursions.

While Labor Day traffic is almost certain to be heavy, experts at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tell CNN there are several strategies for improved safety on the road.

Of key importance, they say, is choosing your time of day or night for travel. While driving at peak times in bumper-to-bumper traffic may be nerve-wracking, statistics indicate that off-hours can be more dangerous.

"Try to avoid the late night and early morning hours," says the administrations' Ricardo Martinez. "That's when most fatal crashes occur."

Martinez also advises drivers to: