Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons User Benedictine

According to AAA’s annual projections, over 37 million people will drive at least 50 miles for vacation between May 21 and May 25. That number is up 4.7 percent from last year, and the highest we’ve seen since 2005.

Part of this has to do with the terrible winter most Americans endured. They’re ready to hit the road again.

Although fuel prices have gone up recently, the national average is still a dollar less than a year ago, and it’s the cheapest level for this period since 2009.

While this bodes well for economic growth, it could mean sitting in the middle of holiday traffic jams.

Your best defense in this case is a good offense. Try to travel during off-peak hours. For example, depart late Wednesday and return on Sunday instead of Monday.

Download a traffic-navigation app like Waze that can help circumvent—or at least anticipate—slow traffic points.

For more tools that can help you on your road trip, check out:

• Road Trip Apps to Make Your Drive Easier
• You Can Avoid Motion Sickness With These Tricks
• Technology That Can Help Prevent Distracted Driving

Keep reading for more travel tips.