When to Hit the Road for the Fourth of July, According to Waze

Photo by Mike Halsall on Flickr/Creative Commons

This weekend, Americans will commemorate the country’s battle for (and victory of) independence the only way they know how—with fireworks and parties. Though getting to those firework-filled parties every Fourth of July feels like the real battle.

There’s the issue of traffic—and not just any traffic, but Boston’s infuriating breed of traffic.

Avoiding it can be tough, so this year, navigation app Waze offered up a few helpful hints. Analysts pulled data from high and low peaks of road congestion during the holiday weekend to pinpoint the best times to drive.

The worst day to hit the road is Friday—Waze logged an increased usage in the app from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Plus, Fridays also show a 22 percent increase in accident alerts and a 12 percent increase in traffic jam alerts.

On the other hand, the data shows Saturday as the best day for driving. There’s only a small peak in usage from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., making for smooth sailing. Since Waze works off of community-based mapping (in other words, users log real-time traffic and road information), you’ll have a crew of 709,602 active Wazers in Boston to help you steer clear of backup if you use the app to navigate.

Happy trails, Boston!