With gas prices falling, robust Labor Day weekend travel expected in Iowa, nationally

DES MOINES — Iowa gas prices for the Labor Day weekend are lower than they have been for this weekend over the last two years, and travel expected across the country over the holiday is expected to be up, according to AAA.

The Fourth of July holiday was a record-breaker for U.S. travel, according to AAA, and the organization expects more big numbers this weekend. Domestic travel is up 9 percent compared with last year, while the cost to travel within the country has declined 2 percent, AAA said.

“Americans see the extended Labor Day weekend as an opportunity to say farewell to summer with one final trip,” Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAA and The Auto Club Group, said in a statement.

Here is a look at Iowa gas prices, road construction and traffic safety for this Labor Day weekend:

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Gas prices falling

Gas prices are lower this weekend than each of the previous two years, according to Iowa and Midwest averages. The average price for a gallon of gas in Iowa on Friday was $3.14, according to AAA. That was down 46 cents per gallon from the same date a year earlier.

The average price for a gallon of gas in the Midwest in the month of August was $3.34, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The data does not include state-level data for Iowa. That Midwest average for August was down 36 cents per gallon from the previous August and down 47 cents from the August 2022 price.

Road construction ‘typical’

Road construction in Iowa is at a typical level for late summer, according to Brian Worrel, a construction engineer for the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Worrel said driver behavior is the key to safety when approaching and driving through work zones. The Iowa DOT’s recommendations include slowing down, paying attention to signs, keeping a safe distance between vehicles and watching for workers and flaggers.

Traffic increase expected

The Iowa State Patrol expected traffic to increase starting Thursday and last through Labor Day on Monday, Trooper and Public Resource Officer Bob Conrad in the Cedar Rapids office said.

“The increased traffic will lead to some dangerous and deadly situations as people share the roadways,” Conrad said.

Conrad said the State Patrol urges drivers to stay vigilant, obey traffic laws and travel safely. He said the patrol’s enforcement efforts over the holiday weekend will focus on aggressive driving — including speeding — as well as distracted driving, impaired driving and seat belt violations.

The Iowa State Patrol and Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau are teaming up to remind Iowa drivers to avoid distracted driving.

According to a survey conducted by the departments at the Iowa State Fair, over 90 percent of the more than 1,300 Iowans surveyed said that driving with a cellphone in hand is dangerous — yet half of respondents admitted to doing so “at least sometimes.”

“Law enforcement already know cellphone use behind the wheel is dangerous. It’s affirming to hear Iowa drivers feel the same,” Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla said in a statement. “It’s frustrating that despite the perceived danger, so many drivers admit to doing it.”

The Iowa State Patrol and Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau support a proposed state law that would require drivers to use only hands-free technology while driving. The law would prohibit drivers from holding a mobile device to operate it while driving.

The proposal has been considered annually since 2019 in the Iowa Capitol, but has failed to gain sufficient support from state lawmakers to pass. Nearly 85 percent of those surveyed during last year’s Iowa State Fair supported a hands-free law, the Department of Public Safety said.

Traffic fatalities down this year

Iowa traffic fatalities are down so far this year, both compared with last year and the five-year trend.

The number of Iowa traffic deaths reached 211 so far this year when witnesses Friday reported a speeding motorcycle on Interstate 35 in Clarke County lose control. According to Iowa Department of Transportation data, traffic fatalities are down about 16 percent from the same time frame in 2023.

It is also down about 3 percent from the five-year fatality rate.

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