NEWS

Gas prices down, police patrols up for Labor Day travelers

Patrick Brennan
pbrennan@enquirer.com
Motorist purchase gas at a station that dropped the unleaded fuel price to $1.99 per gallon, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015, in San Antonio. The price of oil fell back below $39 a barrel after a U.S. government report showed an unexpected decline in demand for gasoline last week.

Labor Day weekend 2015 marks a historically cost-effective time at the gas pump – especially in Greater Cincinnati – and statistics indicate local motorists are primed to take advantage of the low prices.

Projections also point to the potential for trouble on the roadways, including traffic stops and the potential for fatalities.

By the weekend, the cost of gasoline for most in Greater Cincinnati should be at its lowest rate since the 2004 Labor Day weekend, according to a AAA release.

In Cincinnati, the going rate for a gallon of regular gas was $2.37 on Thursday morning – down from $2.47 on Wednesday and $2.68 a week ago, according to GasBuddy.com.

A year-over-year comparison shows the current price is down from $3.54 during Labor Day weekend 2014.

The statewide average gas price in Ohio ($2.25) is down considerably when compared to the national average of $2.43, according to GasBuddy.

Kentuckians are also beating out the national average by virtue of the statewide average gas price of $2.30.

In Ohio alone, 88 percent of motorists are expected to travel by car this weekend, according to AAA. That's 1.5 million motorists projected to make a trip of at least 50 miles, AAA said.

Traveling by air? Give yourself extra time to get through security at Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport because AAA projects an additional 2.64 million Americans, including 57,000 Ohioans, will travel by plane.

The congested roadways should give Greater Cincinnatians additional cause to drive safely as state police agencies in the area are expected to ramp up patrols.

About 35,000 citations were issued during the 2014 Labor Day holiday as Ohio State Highway Patrol increased its patrols (the agency defined the 2014 holiday reporting period as midnight on Friday, Aug. 29 through 11:59 p.m.on Monday Sept. 1).

OSHP made 804 OVI arrests last Labor Day weekend – an increase of more than four percent over the 2013 Labor Day holiday.

Safety belt enforcement stops increased by nearly 10 percent last year, and drug arrests increased by 31 percent, according to OSHP statistics.

Kentucky State Police made 55 DUI arrests during the 2014 Labor Day holiday. Six traffic deaths during the same period resulted from impaired driving, according to the KSP website.

"We know there are going to be family celebrations during Labor Day where alcohol will be present, so your best bet is to always designate a sober driver before the parties begin," KSP Operations Director Lt. Col. Mike Crawford said in a news release. "Make no mistake, our message is simple. If you are caught driving impaired, you will be arrested. We will be out in force to take drunk drivers off the road."

In Ohio, 11 fatal crashes resulted in 11 deaths during the 2014 holiday reporting period, according to OSHP. This, however, was an improvement from the 16 fatalities recorded during 2013.

Where are Cincinnatians vacationing?

Every region of America seems to have a popular locale from which it collectively drinks in the fleeting moments of summer. The southwestern U.S. has San Diego and Las Vegas. New Yorkers sun bathe in the Hamptons, and Pennsylvanians flock to the Jersey Shore.

But where do Cincinnatians travel for Labor Day?

According to AAA, the destinations most requested by Cincinnatians this year are Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the Outer Banks island group in North Carolina, and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

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