AAA reports that over 55 million travelers are making plans to travel 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving. This will be the second-highest Thanksgiving travel volume since AAA began tracking in 2000, trailing only the record set in 2005, and an additional 1.6 million more people will travel compared with last year, a 2.9% increase. The majority of holiday travelers will drive to their destinations and, INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, expects Wednesday afternoon to be the worst travel period nationally, with trips taking as much at four times longer than normal in major metros.

That means, stress and anxiety will be high. Distractions and road rage will be prevalent. Set a good example for your teen driver(s) -stay calm, come up with fun games to play together on the road; listen to podcasts or audio books. Set an example for the kids and teens in the car about the importance of staying calm, focused, and alert on the road.

Some travel numbers to be aware of:

• Automobiles: 49.3 million travelers will hit the road this Thanksgiving, the most since 2005 and 2.8% more than last year.
• Planes: With 4.6% growth, air travel will see the biggest increase in travel volume during the Thanksgiving holiday, with 4.45 million Americans expected to fly.
• Trains, Buses and Cruise Ships: Travel by other modes will reach 1.49 million, a slight increase of 1.4% from 2018.

According to AAA, lower gas prices fuel road trips

Gas prices have been fluctuating recently, but are currently cheaper than the national average at this time last year, giving Americans a little extra money to spend on travel and motivating millions to take road trips.

Meanwhile, more than 368,000 motorists will call AAA for assistance at the roadside this Thanksgiving holiday. Dead batteries, flat tires and lockouts will be the leading reasons AAA members will experience car trouble. AAA recommends motorists take their vehicles to a trusted repair facility to perform any needed maintenance before heading out on a road trip. And remember to slow down and move over for stopped emergency vehicles at the roadside.

Driving MBA can help teach your teens how to manage the road on busy holidays. Defensive driving techniques help teens stay focused and safe.

For more information on Teen Defensive Driving, contact us today!

To read the original AAA article, click here.