Record Number of Motorists to Hit the Road This Thanksgiving

Monday, November 24, 2014

Record Number of Motorists to Hit the Road This Thanksgiving

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If you're headed over the river and through the woods this Thanksgiving, the roads might be just a bit more crowded this year. AAA is reporting that 46.3 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the holiday weekend, a 4.2 percent increase over 2013 and the highest volume of travelers since 2007.

For drivers, the news is both good and bad. According to AAA, the 41.3 million travelers who plan to drive to their destination will enjoy the lowest Thanksgiving gas prices in five years. Last year, motorists paid an average of $3.28 per gallon of regular gas, more than 40 cents lower than the current national average. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is less enthusiastic. "It's one of the busiest travel times of the year, and unfortunately that means more crashes," the agency said in a statement.

NHTSA reports that in 2012, 301 people were killed in traffic crashes across the nation during the holiday weekend, which it defines as starting at 6 p.m. Nov. 26 and ending at 5:59 a.m. Dec. 1. What's worse is that it considers many of those deaths preventable since about 60 percent of those killed were not buckled up.

"Surviving your Thanksgiving drive this year — and making it to next Thanksgiving — can be as simple as buckling up. In the last decade, seat belts saved the lives of more 100,000 people in the United States," the agency said in a statement.

AAA offers the following tips for staying safe on the road this holiday weekend:

Be prepared: Don't forget to pack an emergency kit before pulling out of the driveway. Be sure to include warm clothing, nonperishable snacks, a first-aid kit, jumper cables, a bag of salt or kitty litter and a fully charged mobile phone programmed with roadside assistance numbers and apps. If you become snow-bound, stay with your vehicle. It provides temporary shelter and makes it easier for rescuers to locate you. Don't try to walk in a severe storm. It's easy to lose sight of your vehicle in blowing snow and become lost.
Stay well rested: As tempting as it is to leave in the wee hours of the morning to get a jump start on a long road trip, it's not worth the risk. Recent research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that more than 1 in 5 fatal crashes involve a drowsy driver. Only drive during hours that you're typically awake and take breaks every two hours or 100 miles.
Avoid distractions: Let another passenger handle all distractions including text messaging, making phone calls, programming GPS devices and tending to little ones.
Protect precious cargo: Many parents are surprised to hear that 3 out of 4 car seats are improperly installed. Have your car seats inspected by a professional and avoid common mistakes like forgetting to remove heavy coats before buckling children up.
Watch the weather: Watch weather reports prior to a long-distance drive or before driving in isolated areas. Delay trips when especially bad weather is expected. If you must leave, let others know your route, destination and estimated time of arrival.
Check medications: Several popular cold, flu and allergy medications can impair safe driving ability. Input your prescription and/or over-the-counter medications into AAA's interactive RoadwiseRx tool to determine if your medications are safe to use when behind the wheel.
Brush up on winter driving: Drive slower than usual and increase following distances to eight to 10 seconds. Be sure to avoid cruise control on any slippery surface, including rain, ice or snow, and if your vehicle slides out of control, always look and steer the car in the direction you want to go.