AAA Estimates Record Traffic For Thanksgiving Weekend
November 21, 2022There are a few things you can count on for Thanksgiving, food, football and TRAFFIC. More traffic on the roads can lead to more New Haven auto accidents, but it doesn’t have to. In fact, while it is always critical to drive safely and carefully, around holidays it can literally save your life.
Before we get into the specifics of how to keep yourself and your passengers safe this holiday weekend while out driving, let’s look at some of the numbers as reported our by AAA. The organization has been looking at Thanksgiving weekend travel numbers for the last 22 years and here is what they are expecting for this year.
- Nearly 55 million people are expected to travel more than 50 miles away from home this year.
- The number of travelers is up 1.5% from 2021.
- This Thanksgiving weekend is projected to be the third busiest holiday travel weekend on record since 2000.
- The top too travel weekends that are in front of 2022 are 2005 and 2019 respectively.
With all of these projections from AAA it is clear that the roads are going to be swarming with people trying to get over the river and through the woods this weekend. It is critical for you to make it to your destination in one piece to follow some of these traffic safety tips.
1.) Avoid distractions. This can be a really tricky one, especially when you are traveling somewhere that you may need directions to and you’ll be traveling with your whole family. Passengers can be one of the most dangerous distractions. While there is generally a large focus on cell phone use, and rightfully so, having a large number of passengers in your vehicle can be extremely distracting and dangerous if you do not handle it properly. Having your passengers keep their voices down and avoid any major conversations while you’re driving can be one way that you make it to your destination safely.
2.) Keep your speed down. It can be tempting to race to your destination as you may be excited to get there or you might be running late, but excessive speed is one of the deadliest things you can do in a vehicle. You should always obey posted speed limits and keep your speed down to a safe speed, especially when driving in traffic. If you are speeding you may get into an accident or get a ticket for the way you are driving. Either can devastate your holiday.
3.) Do not drive drowsy, drunk or drugged. These three Ds can get you into some serious issues when you’re driving. If you’ve eaten a big meal, it may be a good idea to digest your food before heading out on to the road so you’re not feeling drowsy. You may even want to catch a quick nap before you head out. If you are at a gathering where there is alcohol or recreational drugs being served, you should make sure you designate a driver to get you home. If you cannot designate a driver, you should use a ride share service to get you home safely and return the next day to pick up your vehicle.
While Thanksgiving travel is a time honored tradition, you do not want it to end up getting you into a New Haven auto accident for things that you can certainly avoid with just a little bit of effort. If you’re heading out for a visit this weekend, make sure you take these tips into account as you will be sharing the road with 55 million of your closest friends.
From our family to yours we wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving weekend.