NBC 26 — Millions of Americans will hit the road to travel home after the Thanksgiving holiday, filling the roads after filling their stomachs.
AAA reports that nearly 82 million people will travel in the days after Thanksgiving, about 90 percent of them by car. That’s an increase of roughly 1.3 million people compared to last year.
Concerns over flight cancellations could result in even more vehicle traffic.
To avoid the heaviest congestion, AAA says the best time to hit the road is before 11am.
If you’re traveling Friday or Saturday, the worst backups are expected to begin nationwide around 1pm, and traffic is expected to remain heavy for several hours—until about 8pm.
Sunday, traffic backups could start even earlier, around 11am, and drivers should expect heavy traffic most of the day.
Construction, crashes and severe weather may also impact travel times.
MADD reminds drivers to stay alert behind the wheel. This time of year can be particularly deadly on the roads, so drive sober, and pull over to rest when needed.
