You may want to carve out a little extra travel time if you’re hitting the road this Thanksgiving.
AAA Mid-Atlantic predicts nearly 50 million people will be traveling in America over the 5-day holiday weekend. That includes 132,000 Delawareans who will hit the skies and highways starting next Wednesday.
“We’re looking at about a 2.6 percent increase in the number of travelers in Delaware over last year,” said Kent Grant, with AAA Mid-Atlantic.
This will be the first year Thanksgiving travel numbers have returned to their pre-recession levels of 2007.
The increase in travel is fueled by low gas prices and rising wages, according to Ken Grant. That includes consumers' more optimistic outlook on the economy.
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the weekend, according to DelDOT toll plaza data. That Wednesday is also the busiest day to fly.
Late November weather is always unpredictable so you should “winterize” your car before hitting the road, according to Grant.
That includes changing your wiper blades and checking your tire pressure.
“Some people mistakenly believe that lower tire pressure actually helps with traction in the snow. That is false. It’s one of those urban legends. It actually leads to excessive tire wear,” Grant said.
After a long holiday weekend with family, you may know exactly how it feels to be worn out.