The news is full of stories about soaring airfares, checked bag fess and extended wait times in airport security lines. When you consider the time and cost of flying, it becomes clear that travel by car is the way to go, says the non-profit Car Care Council.

“Standing in line for hours in order to board an overcrowded plane after paying extra to check bags has made air travel a real headache, ” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “With no relief in sight, more and more travelers are realizing the benefits of driving to their destinations. Since a family of four can travel 1,000 miles round-trip by car for about the cost of one airline ticket, driving is clearly the sensible option.”

Research from AAA Foundation Finds 60% of Teen Crashes Involve Distraction 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 1, 2016)- Over the past five years, more than 5,000 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers during the “100 Deadliest Days,” the period starting at Memorial Day when teen crash deaths historically climb. As the summer driving season begins, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is releasing a follow-up study confirming that nearly 60 percent of teen crashes involve distractions behind the wheel. The research also finds a disturbing trend showing that texting and social media use are on the rise amongst teen drivers.

Tightening supply combined with strong gasoline demand contributed to pump prices moving higher over the past week. Today’s average price of $2.36 per gallon represents an increase of four cents per gallon since last week’s Memorial Day Holiday, and drivers are paying 14 cents per gallon more than one month ago to refuel their vehicles. Year-over-year discounts persist due to crude oil prices remaining relatively low, but discounts are beginning to narrow and have closed to 40 cents per gallon versus this same date last year. Additional information about the price at the pump can be accessed on the newly released AAA Gas Prices website, which includes enhanced features and a fresh design.

Drivers are taking to the roads at a record-setting pace, and gasoline demand remains on target to reach unprecedented highs during this year’s summer driving season. Gasoline production is reportedly keeping pace with growing demand, yet unexpected events with production or distribution could lead to higher prices given the fact that millions of Americans are taking road trips this month.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that, beginning today, June 1, 2016, rental car agencies must fix any and all open safety defects before renting out vehicles to customers. U.S Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and NHTSA Administrator Dr. Mark Rosekind have long advocated for safe rental cars free of open recalls, and the new legislation requiring it was recently passed by the Congress in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015.

“When a family picks up a rental car on vacation, they should be able to expect it is free of any known safety defect,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “I thank Congress and the safety advocates who helped turn this common-sense idea into law.”

The national average price of gas reached a new 2016 high over the weekend, and today’s average of $2.38 per gallon is the most expensive average since September 2015.  Gas prices have moved higher by two cents per gallon on the week and 16 cents per gallon on the month. Although pump prices have increased for 28 of the past 33 days, consumers continue to benefit from yearly savings and prices are down 42 cents per gallon compared to a year ago.

The cost of crude oil has moved higher over the past few weeks, which has made gasoline more expensive to start the summer driving season. Crude oil prices have increased due to unexpected disruptions in places like Canada and Nigeria, while questions continue to mount over future production in Venezuela. Since early April, the cost of crude oil has increased by more than $13 per barrel to the highest levels since 2015. With all other factors being equal, a $1 per barrel change in the price of crude oil can increase gas prices by 2.4 cents per gallon. Prices may continue to fluctuate on the heels of news related to global oil supply and the U.S. dollar, which could have a major impact on what drivers pay for gasoline this summer.