According to AAA, just under 55 million people will be traveling for the Thanksgiving holidays this year, either by plane, train, or automobile but the majority will be on the road. AAA spokesperson Don Redman said that’s up 2 percent from last year.
“But it’s still the third busiest travel holiday for Thanksgiving that AAA has recorded since 2000, so it’s a busy time,” said Redman.
Redman estimates just under 49 million motorists will be traveling in the US for Thanksgiving, and he said to expect about 5 million of them to be in the Louisiana region which includes Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. So, if you’re driving to grandmother’s today…
“You need to be on the road before 8 o’clock in the morning,” said Redman.
Or wait until after 8 PM, he said the hours of 11 AM to 8 PM are the worst hours to travel by car.
If you’re traveling by air, arrive at the airport two hours early and pack a change of clothes and any medicines in your carry-on in case your flight is delayed.
Redman said if you’re driving for a long distance, take a break every couple of hours to walk around to prevent road fatigue.
“Seventeen percent of fatal crashes are caused by someone falling asleep behind the wheel. That’s almost 8,000 people a year. So, stay alert, get out of the car and move around about every two hours,” said Redman.
And because chances are you’ll get stuck in traffic for prolonged periods Redman said you never let your fuel get below a quarter of a tank.
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