What to Watch Out for as You Hit the Road This Memorial Day

On any given day, more than 250 million cars and trucks navigate America's roadways, and millions check in at terminals from Los Angeles to LaGuardia Airport in New York for domestic and international flights.

But both America's roads and airports – along with its schools, waterways, and drinking water – received near-failing grades.

Last week, more than 100 groups from different sectors of the U.S. economy banded together for "Infrastructure Week" to focus much-needed attention on the condition of infrastructure in the United States.

Organizers of "Infrastructure Week" invited CBN News to participate in a big rig ride-along on Interstate 495, the Capital Beltway.

As one of the worst cities for traffic, Washington, D.C., accounts for part of the 42 percent of congested major urban highways that cost Americans an estimated $101 billion in wasted time and fuel annually.

David Boyer, a truck driver with ABF Freight, cautioned car drivers to be patient sharing the road with large semi trucks.

"I want you to get home to your family this evening safely, and I want to get to my family," Boyer explained. "It's all about taking your time, not getting excited, not doing silly things, not making wrong turns."

Boyers told CBN News a good rule of thumb is to avoid truckers' blind spots on the right-hand side and to avoid tailgating.

"If I can't see you in my mirror, I don't know where you're at. I don't have a rear view mirror to look out of," he said.

He also warned against sudden stops, adding that it takes the length of a football field plus both end zones for an 18-wheeler traveling at 55 miles an hour to stop.

While those are great tips to deal with congested roadways, they do little to combat America's crumbling infrastructure.

According to the American Society for Civil Engineers, around $5 trillion is needed to close the infrastructure gap, which costs American families $3,400 in disposable income a year.