MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – Are you making plans to travel for the upcoming holiday weekend? Gas prices are expected to reach record highs leading up to Thanksgiving as more Americans plan to hit the road this year.

Fuel savings platform, GasBuddy, said gas prices are projected to hit $3.68 a gallon on Thanksgiving Day. That’s nearly $0.30 higher than last year and $0.20 higher than the previous record set a decade ago.

But prices at the pump are not stopping many Americans. In fact, a recent survey from GasBuddy found 20 percent more people plan to drive on Thanksgiving this year compared to 2021.

Meanwhile, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, Patrick De Haan, said prices could fall 10 to 20 percent between now and Christmas.

“This is the time of year that gasoline demand is typically in decline, in the fall or winter as Americans start to stay closer to home, so that should or can bring some measure of relief,” he said.

Experts say it is best to shop around before filling up. The first gas station you see is not always the cheapest.

“For anyone crossing state lines, heading out of the state, I certainly would advise them to check an app like GasBuddy or Google or Waze – there could be certainly far lower prices depending on which side of the border you fill up on,” said De Haan.

Experts also say slowing down can help you save. Aggressive driving habits, like speeding and braking hard, can cost you hundreds of dollars worth of fuel each year.