Fuel prices just keep rising for drivers as they plan for summer. GasBuddy predicts Americans will take fewer road trips this summer because of it.
Last year, the group says about 70% of Americans traveled more than two hours. They believe it'll fall to 55% this summer.
Still, AAA believes 3.7 million Texans will travel during this year's Memorial Day weekend.
"That desire to travel, that desire to connect with their loved ones, is what's really fueling this travel demand," AAA Texas spokesperson Doug Shupe said. "Not only through this holiday weekend, but likely through the summer."
GasBuddy believes the national average could approach record highs this summer, exceeding $5 a gallon. They say that's if the war in Iran continues.
University of Houston Vice President for Energy and Innovation Ramanan Krishnamoorti said either way, gas prices will remain high.
"I predict that even if the war stops tomorrow, you're going to see nationally the price of gasoline not drop below $4 for the next six to nine months," Krishnamoorti said.
Krishnamoorti said the war has caused supply chain disruptions both in the U.S. and globally, adding that if the war ends soon, it could still take a year to get prices below $3 a gallon.
According to Krishnamoorti, experts say the numbers at the pump will rise faster than ever before if these three things continue: the war goes on, federal taxes remain in place, and if no measures are taken to limit the export of oil from the U.S.
"If all of those things don't happen, and this continues to say November, we would easily see $6 a gallon," Krishnamoorti said.