North Carolinians aren’t going to let the price of gas keep them from Memorial Day weekend travel, according to AAA Carolinas. The organization projects that more than 1.26 million Tar Heel State residents will take to the road for the upcoming weekend.

That number would represent the highest Memorial Day travel volume since 2005 and an increase of 5 percent over last year, a news release from AAA Carolinas stated. The organization defines the Memorial Day holiday travel period as Thursday, May 24, to Monday, May 28.

Numbers are up as well for South Carolinians this year, according to AAA Carolinas, which added that air travel by North and South Carolinians is expected to rise nearly 7 percent this Memorial Day weekend compared to last year’s.

“Although Carolinians will be filling up at the pumps with the highest gas prices since 2014, that won’t keep them at home,” Tiffany Wright, AAA Carolinas spokesperson, said in the release. “A strong economy and growing consumer confidence are giving Carolinians the motivation they need to kick off what we expect to be a busy summer travel season with a Memorial Day getaway.”

Sarah Hall, branch manager of the Wilmington AAA office, is focused on the number of visitors the Cape Fear area will likely see over the weekend.

“If [this weekend] is anything like past years, [the number] will continue to grow,” she said. “We are a hidden gem. Our travel growth is booming throughout the whole season. And that’s good for us. The economy is booming and unemployment is down.”

While an influx of visitors does put stress on area roads and bridges, locals should learn to deal with any inconvenience because of the benefits tourist dollars bring to the area economy, Hall added.

In its news release, AAA Carolinas warned of road congestion that is traditionally heaviest on Thursday and Friday of Memorial Day weekend.

Memorial Day weekend also marks the beginning of what the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety calls the “100 Deadliest Days.” That is the period when teen traffic deaths historically rise. In 2017 there were 1,768 collisions resulting in 918 injuries and 10 fatalities in North Carolina alone, according to the foundation, which added that teens are three times as likely as adults to be involved in a collision.