Aaa Mid Atlantic

As the school year starts, AAA Mid-Atlantic has the following suggestions for drivers: Slow down in or near school and residential areas, and be sure to come to a complete stop at all intersections. Drive with your headlights on, even during the day, so children and other drivers can see you. Watch for clues such as crossing guards, bicycles and playgrounds, which indicate children could be in the area. Scan between parked cars and other objects for signs that children could dart into the road.

TOWSON, Md. - To combat the dangers of children and traffic as well as the perils and challenges facing new teen drivers, AAA Mid-Atlantic is announcing its 2005-06 Traffic Safety Poster Program. The contest offers students an opportunity to be creative while reinforcing key messages that are critical to the safety of area youth, according to Ragina C. Averella, manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. Traffic crashes are the leading killer of children ages 2 to 14, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

HAGERSTOWN - Bathroom breaks and questions of "Are we there yet?" aside, that trip to grandma's house is shaping to be a little more bearable this Thanksgiving - more than $1 per gallon less expensive for area residents. According to travel services provider AAA Mid-Atlantic, the average price of regular gasoline in Hagerstown was $1.92 per gallon Friday, down from $3.11 per gallon at this time last year. Even with lower gas prices, AAA Mid-Atlantic forecasts a small decline in the number of Americans traveling during the holiday weekend.

Fewer Marylanders plan to travel during Labor Day weekend this year than last year, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. A survey by the auto club shows that travel is expected to be down 2.7 percent overall, including a drop of 0.4 percent by car and 2.9 percent by air. For all other modes - including bus, train and watercraft - the projected decline is 34.4 percent, the survey said. Eighty-nine percent of travel is expected to be done by car. The travel projections "are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Global Insight," according to a AAA Mid-Atlantic news release.

Drivers continue to face serious challenges in the wake of Tropical Storm Isabel, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. Flooding, fallen trees and electrical lines, and electrical outages are creating potentially hazardous conditions on area roads, AAA said in a press release. "Those who intend to be on the roads need to slow down and keep their eyes on the road," Amanda Knittle, AAA Mid-Atlantic spokeswoman, said in the press release. "There is a lot of debris, and due to electrical outages, some traffic signals may not be working.

As Tri-State residents get ready for the last-minute rush of holiday shopping and packing for road trips to visit family, AAA suggests there are a few chores they might want to make time for to help save money on gas for those long drives. "Everyone most likely won't be doing everything" on AAA's tip list, said Christine Delise, spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. But many of the tips for saving money on gas are simple things people can do on their own without going to a  mechanic, she said.

tarar@herald-mail.com Thanksgiving travelers might notice more than increased traffic on Tri-State area highways. Police say they plan to be out in force as well. "Whenever traffic is increased ... our workload on the interstate is increased," Maryland State Police Sgt. Stacy Jussila of the Hagerstown barrack said Tuesday. AAA Mid-Atlantic anticipates more than 672,000 Maryland and 533,200 Pennsylvania motorists will drive 50 miles or more for Thanksgiving, according to written statements.

Clyde and Claudine Miller left Oklahoma City on Monday morning, driving more than 550 miles a day to reach a family Thanksgiving celebration in Reading, Pa., by Wednesday night. Early Wednesday afternoon, the couple stopped at the Pennsylvania Welcome Center off Interstate 81 near Greencastle, Pa. Traffic was good during their trip, and they didn't have to pay more than $2.11 for a gallon of gas, Clyde Miller said. The Millers were two of about 540 guests who stopped at the welcome center Wednesday from 7 a.m. to noon, said Carrie Burdge, a center supervisor.

HAGERSTOWN -- Gas prices reached an all-time high in Hagerstown on Monday at an average of $4 a gallon for self-serve regular, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic's fuel price-watchers. That's 99 cents more per gallon than Hagerstown residents paid this time last year, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report. Hagerstown gas prices broke the $4 per gallon mark just one day after the national average reached that milestone, AAA spokeswoman Christine Sarames Delise said. Gas prices nationally have soared over the past few days largely because of reports that a high-ranking Israeli official warned of an Israeli attack on Iran if that nation fails to relinquish its nuclear program, Delise said in a news release.

With state residents gearing up for the year's busiest travel holiday, Maryland State Police are urging motorists to drive with caution and are increasing patrols and enforcement to give them some incentive. About 525,000 Marylanders are expected to drive or travel by rail or air today through Sunday, according to police. Extra troopers will be on patrol, watching for aggressive drivers who are speeding, tailgating and making unsafe lane changes, said Hagerstown Baracks Commander Lt. Bruce Smith.

It is now six straight weeks that the national average of regular grade gas has set a new record for the calendar day, according to the AAA Mid-Atlantic weekend gas watch, and there is still little relief at the pump. With the national average at $3.81 per gallon Thursday, it is actually up from last week at $3.78 per gallon despite the end of summer and lower global crude-oil prices, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge website at fuelgaugereport.aaa.com. Prices are lower overall throughout the state of Maryland at $3.70, but they were $3.84 in Hagerstown on Thursday, up from $3.81 at the same time the previous week and from $3.78 a month ago. Nationally, prices have still fallen 19 of the last 21 days, according to the Weekend Gas Watch, but they have been increasing across the northeast and west coast.

For the first time since early July, gas prices dropped this week nationally and locally, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic's website at midatlantic.aaa.com. The national average for regular-grade gasoline was at $3.80 per gallon Wednesday, down from $3.85 last week, and the priced locally dropped from $3.85 to $3.82 per gallon, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report. Area residents remained skeptical about what lies ahead at the pump. “We'll have a break for a few weeks and people will say gas is looking good, but it's not going to be any relief,” Hagerstown resident Frank Daymude, 29, said.

With gas prices dropping and economic conditions slowly improving, the number of Marylanders traveling over the Memorial Day weekend is expected to increase slightly this year, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. More than 721,000 Marylanders are projected to travel this weekend, a 1.4 percent increase over 2011, AAA said in a news release. One of those is Hagerstown resident Richard Brill, 67, who was leaving Thursday on his Memorial Day weekend trip. “I'm going to the NASCAR race down in Charlotte,” N.C., he said.

Fewer Marylanders plan to travel during Labor Day weekend this year than last year, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. A survey by the auto club shows that travel is expected to be down 2.7 percent overall, including a drop of 0.4 percent by car and 2.9 percent by air. For all other modes - including bus, train and watercraft - the projected decline is 34.4 percent, the survey said. Eighty-nine percent of travel is expected to be done by car. The travel projections "are based on economic forecasting and research by IHS Global Insight," according to a AAA Mid-Atlantic news release.

While some people were stocking up on burgers and sparklers for July Fourth celebrations Wednesday afternoon, Randy and Pat of Hagerstown were at Advance Auto Parts on Dual Highway browsing for tires and spark plugs. They were getting their van ready for a trip to Skyline Drive in Virginia, where they planned to spend the holiday weekend relaxing in the Blue Ridge Mountains and visiting a parent’s grave, said Randy, who did not want to give his last name for fear of attracting burglars while they are out of town.

As Tri-State residents get ready for the last-minute rush of holiday shopping and packing for road trips to visit family, AAA suggests there are a few chores they might want to make time for to help save money on gas for those long drives. "Everyone most likely won't be doing everything" on AAA's tip list, said Christine Delise, spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. But many of the tips for saving money on gas are simple things people can do on their own without going to a  mechanic, she said.

HAGERSTOWN - Bathroom breaks and questions of "Are we there yet?" aside, that trip to grandma's house is shaping to be a little more bearable this Thanksgiving - more than $1 per gallon less expensive for area residents. According to travel services provider AAA Mid-Atlantic, the average price of regular gasoline in Hagerstown was $1.92 per gallon Friday, down from $3.11 per gallon at this time last year. Even with lower gas prices, AAA Mid-Atlantic forecasts a small decline in the number of Americans traveling during the holiday weekend.

TRI-STATE -- With a weakening economy and Thanksgiving just around the corner, the sight of lower gas prices is a welcome relief for many local residents interviewed last week. Edie Riker, 53, of Summit Point, W.Va., said Wednesday that the lower gas prices will help people get out of the house, ultimately helping the slumping economy. "With gas prices dropping, I am more inclined to get out of my house and go shopping," Riker said. "With the economy the way it is and people not spending, now is the perfect time for gas prices to fall.

HAGERSTOWN -- Gas prices reached an all-time high in Hagerstown on Monday at an average of $4 a gallon for self-serve regular, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic's fuel price-watchers. That's 99 cents more per gallon than Hagerstown residents paid this time last year, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report. Hagerstown gas prices broke the $4 per gallon mark just one day after the national average reached that milestone, AAA spokeswoman Christine Sarames Delise said. Gas prices nationally have soared over the past few days largely because of reports that a high-ranking Israeli official warned of an Israeli attack on Iran if that nation fails to relinquish its nuclear program, Delise said in a news release.

A storm that began midmorning Thursday dropped about 3 1/2 inches of snow on the Hagerstown area and created slick conditions that were expected to continue into this morning, according to weather reports from the National Weather Service and Hagerstown weather site www.i4weather.net . Periods of freezing rain and sleet overnight could result in an accumulation of several hundredths of an inch of ice, enough to keep travel hazardous, the National Weather Service predicted.