Gas prices averaging below $3 per gallon could spur many Americans to travel this for Thanksgiving, which might cause some traffic delays, according to AAA.
Chelsea Pompeani, director of public affairs at AAA east central, says the best way to avoid the increased traffic is to leave a little early.
“Well we know that car travel is the biggest means of transportation for people this year. We found 89 percent of travelers are going to be taking a car, so there’s probably going to be a lot of traffic depending on when you leave, the day before Thanksgiving to Sunday, Nov. 30 are going to be the busiest times,” said Pompeani.
In the mid-Atlantic region (Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey) travel is projected to increase by 4.5 percent, meaning that 4.78 million people will drive to their holiday destination. Air travel is also expected to rise 3.6 percent from last year to 466,000 people flying this year.
Pompeani also advises travelers to check over their cars to make sure they’ll be able to handle the distance, as most travelers will be driving more than 50 miles.
“While driving we want everyone to be safe so leaving early and being prepared, and making sure that you’re not tailgating people as you’re driving. These are all things that are good to know when you’re going to be traveling long distances,” said Pompeani.
