If you’re hitting the road for this Thanksgiving, you won’t be alone.
Almost 80 million people will hit the roads and airways this Thanksgiving, with traveler numbers surpassing pre-pandemic levels, so says AAA.
Journeys of 50 miles or more will be made by 79.9 million people in the holiday period — an increase of 1.7 million from last year and 2 million more than in 2019.
This year will be a bit different as the AAA’s annual prediction includes the Tuesday before and Monday after Thanksgiving to better reflect people’s traveling habits.
“Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,” Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, said in a statement.
The majority of trips, 71.7 million, will be by car, meaning 1.3 million more travelers will be on the road compared to last year. Gas prices are lower than the $3.26 per gallon national average during the holiday last year.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, AAA cites data from transport analysts at INRIX, showing that Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon next week will be the busiest times on the roads — but Thanksgiving Day itself is “typically clear.”
Closer to home, most people in Wyoming will travel by car. WYDOT Public Information Specialist, Cody Beers, reminds people to stay safe during this upcoming holiday season, and especially, don’t drink and drive.
The National Safety Council estimates 502 people may die on U.S. roads this Thanksgiving holiday period. Holidays are traditionally a time of travel for families across the United States. Many choose car travel, which has the highest fatality rate of any major form of motorized transportation based on fatalities per passenger mile. Holidays are also often cause for celebrations involving alcohol consumption, a major contributing factor to motor-vehicle crashes.
