Oregon Public Broadcasting

Thousands of Oregonians will be hitting the road this holiday weekend even as gas prices hit record levels.

And those high gas prices are here to stay, according to the AAA of Oregon and Idaho.

The national average will probably hit $4 a gallon in June and stay there -- or go even higher -- throughout the summer.

Marie Dodds is a spokeswoman for AAA.  She says ways to conserve gas while driving include avoiding quick starts and stops, lightening your load, and checking your tires.

Marie Dodds: “We’ve all heard that under-inflated tires can be a safety hazard but they can also cut your fuel economy by as much as 2-percent per pound of pressure below the recommended level.  So let’s say that you know, each tire is a pound below where it should be, that’s eight percent off your gas bill right there.”

Dodds says even with gas prices as high as they are, people are still making plans to drive somewhere for the long weekend.

She says there’s only a very slight decline expected in holiday car trips compared to this time last year.