AAA Expects A 10% Drop In Thanksgiving Travel This Year

If you typically travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, you might feel a little lonely on Connecticut’s roads as AAA has confirmed that it expects holiday travel to be extremely light this year.  While original forecasts indicated that it was expected that 50 million people would be traveling by car to Thanksgiving dinner, AAA has revised that number down by about 10%.

The expectedly lower than average travel is due to the continued decline in health metrics concerning COVID-19 cases as well as the economic impact of the pandemic.  AAA is seeing similar trends as it saw at the height of the Great Recession in 2008 when the country experienced it’s greatest decline in holiday travel to date.

With this being said, you should still be careful driving on the roads to avoid a New Haven auto accident.  With fewer cars on the roads there are unique challenges that can have dramatic impacts on your safety.  There are things you can do to make sure your holiday travel is safe and you arrive to your destination unscathed.  Here are some of the suggestions to drive safe:

• Drive the speed limit.  With fewer cars on the road it can be tempting to speed up and get to your destination faster, but driving over the speed limit always increases your chances of getting into a car accident.
• Buckle up.  Of course wearing your seatbelt is always the best thing you can do to stay safe when driving and regardless of how many people are on the road it remains the best way to avoid injury.
• Slow down in construction zones.  Many states have laws requiring you to slow down in construction zones, but with fewer cars on the road you might be tempted to zoom through these areas.  This is dangerous for both you and anyone who is working on the site at the time that you pass through.

These are important things you can do to stay safe while driving, but you should also take precautions to keep you and your passengers safe from the pandemic.  Use the restroom before you go, so you can avoid stopping.  Bring extra masks, so if you have to stop you can make sure to cover up your face.  If you must stop, avoid crowded spaces.

If you are traveling this holiday season and you experience a New Haven auto accident, contact our office and we will review your case.