The roads across America are expected to be even more congested this Thanksgiving holiday – reversing stagnant holiday travel trends for much of 2011.
Across the country, AAA forecasted 42.5 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home between Wednesday and Sunday. In Indiana, AAA predicts there will be 944,000 total travelers this year, a 3.7 percent increase from 2010. The vast majority will travel by vehicle despite gas prices being higher than they were a year ago.
According to Brad Roeber, regional AAA president, the increase in Thanksgiving travel comes after stagnant Memorial Day travel and drops in Independence Day and Labor Day travel from last year.
He said the reason for the projected increase is a pent-up demand for travel by Americans who skipped hitting the road over the past three years.
“As consumers weigh the fear of economic uncertainty and the desire to create lasting family memories this holiday, more Americans are expected to choose family and friends over frugality,” Roeber said.
To be fair, my plan to travel more than 50 miles gets me several free meals and baby sitters, so in terms of sheer costs, it is likely worth the gas money.
Prepared for the road
While many Hoosiers plan to hit the road this holiday, a new survey questions how ready people will be if something unfortunate happens on the trip.
A survey by Allstate showed the average Indiana driver has experienced four instances of a disabled vehicle and 14 percent have been stranded for more than two hours with a disabled vehicle. Despite this history, 86 percent of Hoosier drivers say it is not likely their plans will be delayed or canceled because of a breakdown or other problem.
The insurer recommends drivers do regular maintenance of their vehicles and prepare for possible problems. This includes keeping a spare tire, flashlight, jumper cables and other supplies in the vehicle.
Extra patrols
To make the roads safer over the holidays, the Indiana State Police will join hundreds of other agencies in providing more patrols.
Through Nov. 27, additional sobriety checkpoints and patrols will target impaired drivers and those not wearing seat belts. Last year, 135 people died on Indiana highways in crashes involving impaired drivers. Nearly 25 percent of all fatal collisions were alcohol-related.
So I join the police in asking people to have a fun and safe holiday weekend.
Radio Sage
This week’s audio question comes from Neil Clay, who asked about the intersection of Wheelock and St. Joe Center roads. The segment originally aired Friday on WOWO and can be heard online at www.journalgazette.net/roadsage.
