Record Number of Holiday Travelers Expected, AAA Says
A record 94.5 million Americans will travel 50 or more miles this holiday season, AAA reported.
That figure would be a 0.6% gain from 2012, the fifth consecutive annual increase, according to the motorist group.
About 91% of travelers will go by automobile, an increase of 0.9%, while air traffic is projected to dip slightly.
“While economic growth has stagnated and consumer confidence has fallen, Americans will not be Scrooges when it comes to traveling this year,” AAA Chief Operating Officer Marshall Doney said in a statement.
With a greater number of motorists on the road, AAA said it is expecting to rescue 3.76 million people due to dead car batteries, flat tires and lockouts during the holiday season.
Members of America’s Road Team advised holiday drivers to be careful when traffic is heavy, especially when traveling around trucks. The Road Team is a group of truck drivers chosen by American Trucking Associations to advocate highway safety on behalf of the trucking industry.
“Always buckle up,” America’s Road Team Captain Dale Williams, a driver for Trimac Transportation, said in a statement. “Weather can also be a factor during this time of year so check weather conditions before you get in your vehicle.”
