By Craig Anderson

Unleaded gas, on average, cost a state record $4.60 per gallon in Delaware on Monday.

However, that won’t keep folks off the road during the looming Memorial Day weekend.

So said AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman Jim Lardear, who also noted that gas has hit a record high nationally, at $4.59.

“Obviously, this is very expensive for motorists,” he said. “And when you look at it, the summer travel season coming up, there’s more demand for gasoline as people want to get away.”

The situation is “rather unique,” he said.

“People have maybe been restrained a little bit due to COVID concerns from traveling. What we know is that people will try and economize in other ways to go. They’ll still want to get away. They don’t eat out as much or do certain activities in order to save money.”

A poll by AAA-Mid Atlantic found that more than 35% of Delawareans say gas prices were not even a consideration in their travel planning. But almost 50% say they are taking fewer or shorter trips because of the price and almost 20% say they will adjust their budget for lodging or dining out because of those costs.

For those who are staying home or are unsure about their summer travel plans (26%), more than a third cite gas prices as the biggest factor influencing that decision.

Additionally, according to AAA:

• Almost 60% of Delaware residents are planning a trip of 50 miles or more this summer.
• Almost 35% of state residents are planning to travel more than last summer.
• More than 20% of Delawareans are planning their first significant summer travel since before the pandemic.
• More than 40% of Delaware residents are planning multiple trips.
• Of those traveling, almost 30% are doing so internationally.

By the numbers, gas rose by 16 cents per gallon in the past week, which Mr. Lardear called “more pain at the pump.”

National unleaded prices have either risen or stayed flat each day since April 24, according to AAA.

So as crude oil prices rise, there’s more of a demand from gas-seeking travelers, Mr. Lardear said. In addition, the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine “definitely sent shock waves through the oil markets consistently since February and kept costs elevated.”

“Crude oil is the most expensive part of a gallon of gas, and it’s an international commodity.”

And where do the prices go from today?

“That’s not really predictable because of the supply-and-demand dynamic, along with the extremely volatile crude prices right now,” said Mr. Lardear, who believes ongoing upward pressure will remain to some extent.