The Thanksgiving holiday is expected to see millions of drivers on the road.
In Maryland just under a million are expected out and about, while another 128 thousand from Delaware will be traveling – most of them by car.
This is a small increase from last year but holiday traveling has seen a continuous rise since the end of the Great Recession.
Ragina Avarella with AAA Mid-Atlantic says, “We do see that some of that traffic is spread out over the entire time period from people getting an early start. We certainly recommend that they do that if it’s an option for them. But, certainly, many people will be traveling on Thanksgiving Day as well.”
Gas Prices
Low gas prices should also boost travel which in Maryland are averaging around $2.10 a gallon for unleaded.
Averella says, “We’re thinking that certainly the lower gas prices, while they may be driving -- to some degree -- the amount of people traveling, we know that people want to travel for Thanksgiving. They want to spend time with family and friends.”
But, she adds, “Certainly, because gas prices are lower, it’s giving travelers more discretionary spending, and that may bode very well for retailers for the upcoming holiday shopping season.”
Maintenance
The motor club also encourages travelers to check out their cars before hitting the road with thousands expected to contact the organization for help along the highway.
Averella says, “From a national perspective, Triple A expects to rescue more than 360,000 disabled motorists over this Thanksgiving holiday. And last year," she adds, "in the Mid-Atlantic Triple A territory in Maryland alone we rescued over a thousand stranded motorists just for tire related issues. So, again, it’s very important to keep in mind that your car is road ready before trekking out.”
