Avoid being bumper-to-bumper this Memorial Day weekend

Nothing burns gasoline better--or in more irritating fashion--than getting caught in stop-and-go traffic.

And this is The Weekend to take to the road. There are the 32.1 million Americans traveling over the holiday, and 87 percent are driving, according to AAA.

Still, it is possible to avoid traffic altogether. You can head to a major city and stick to mass transportation and walking. Or, you can plan to avoid the road on Friday and Monday nights.

But for those who have itineraries in areas where heavy traffic is inevitable, the best defense is good offense. Using variables such as construction and car accidents, the following Web sites keep you up-to-date on traffic conditions.

NAVTEQ Traffic.com is a triple-threat. Besides visiting the Web site, you can access the information by visiting the mobile Web site http://mobi.traffic.com, by calling 866-MY-TRAFC (866-698-7232) or by texting your city code to TRAFC (87232). City codes can be found at www.traffic.com. The site’s one downfall is that it covers only 52 U.S. cities--sorry Albuquerque!

If you want to see the traffic conditions for yourself, TrafficLand.com features feed from multiple cameras set up throughout multiple cities. This is best for drivers who are familiar with their area of travel.

Old standbyMSN provides drivers with the location, start time and estimated end time of various road hiccups. Check it out at http://autos.msn.com/everyday/trafficreport.aspx

Weather.com isn’t just for thunderstorm updates. It also provides information about scheduled construction zones and, naturally, the rush-hour weather forecast.

By Izzi Bendall