Holiday travel in the Commonwealth

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV)—According to AAA, Thanksgiving travel is setting new records this year, with nearly 80 million Americans expected to travel 50 miles or more for the holiday.

The 2.7% increase surpasses pre-pandemic levels. With 71.7 million traveling by car, 5.84 million by air, and 2.3 million by other modes of transportation including: buses, cruises, and trains, all categories are seeing significant increases. AAA advises avoiding peak traffic times, particularly Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, and leveraging traffic apps for smoother journeys in congested metro areas. This unprecedented travel forecast highlights a continued post-pandemic rebound in holiday travel.

“The Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving, which we suspect are going to be the busiest days, and we’re predicting them to be that way, if you can leave before 10 a.m. both of those days, you may be in a little better position to miss some of the traffic,” said Morgan Dean, AAA mid-Atlantic spokesperson.

According to the Virginia state police, the commonwealth experienced a 53 percent decrease in the number of fatal traffic crashes over the 2023 Thanksgiving holiday. Preliminary data indicates nine people lost their lives over the five-day holiday statistical counting period. VSP noted the majority of the fatalities were not wearing seatbelts.

VSP also issued 5,000 citations and responded to over 1,000 crashes. Of the 2023 holiday traffic crashes, 137 of them resulted in injuries.

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