HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — According to AAA, the day before Thanksgiving is when they expect the most traffic on the roads.
They anticipate more than 1.4 million Virginians to drive more than 50 miles for the holiday.
They say the worst times to travel on Wednesday are between 2 and 6 p.m. With that in mind, some people try to use different tactics to beat the holiday traffic.
“I traveled here from Washington D.C.,” one woman said.
Was there a lot of traffic coming down?
“No, but I drove late,” the woman said. “I always drive late from Washington D.C. to avoid all the traffic.”
With it being such a busy season for Hampton Roads, AAA has a list of ways drivers can stay safe.
- Put your phone away while you’re driving.
- If you have to call or text someone while driving, do it safely by pulling off the road first.
- If you’re using GPS while traveling to see your loved ones, program the destination before leaving.
- Be hyperaware of pedestrians crossing the street.
AAA Tidewater spokesperson Ryan Adcock also stressed the importance of always wearing your seatbelts and securing your little ones.
“Making sure they’re strapped in correctly,” Adcock said, “and just making sure that we are doing preventatively everything we can, like using our seatbelts, using the correct child seats and following all of the driving and traffic laws so that everyone can get home safely and alive at the end of the day.”
AAA also has a holiday ride safe program. Head on over to AAA’s Holiday Safe Ride Program for more details.