Busiest holiday travel days expected over weekend leading to New Year’s, AAA says

ORLANDO, Fla. – Millions of people are expected to travel by plane or hit the road this weekend for the holiday season.

AAA reports that one of the most congested traffic weekends will be the one leading up to New Year’s.

Around 6.4 million people in Florida are expected to travel more than 50 miles from home, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Holiday travelers Jon and Janae shared their journey with News 6.

“We went to Orlando from Fort Myers. That was a good trip. Now we’re heading up to Fort White from Orlando,” Jon said.

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AAA reported earlier this month that road congestion nationwide is expected to increase by 30% during this time.

“(The drive) was alright. You know, there was a lot of traffic coming down when you get near the major cities, but for the most part, it was smooth sailing,” said Ian Fergueson, who traveled from Virginia.

While some drivers have noticed the uptick in traffic, many say it’s manageable.

“It hasn’t been that bad. I think everybody wants to just get where they need to go and you just gotta have a little more patience and compassion and take a deep breath,” Janae said.

AAA provided a chart outlining the worst and best times to travel over the next few days. The early afternoon and evening hours are the busiest, but some travelers such as Fergueson say the earlier the better.

“You want to leave as early in the morning as you can to get past as many rush hour cities as you possibly can,” Fergueson said. “I left at around 4:30 in the morning when I came down here.”

Florida Highway Patrol statistics show there were over 33,000 crashes and hundreds of deaths on Florida roads last December.

Lt. Jim Beauford of FHP advised drivers to stay calm and avoid weaving through traffic.

“One of the major things is people zig-zagging in and out of different lanes, you’re gonna make other people hit the brakes and it’s gonna slow down everybody, so just be patient. You know, that car might take a little bit longer than you want to pass another vehicle, but just be patient, let it get by,” Beauford explained.

FHP also emphasized that many crashes during the holidays are caused by driving under the influence. For those who have had too much to drink, AAA is offering free rides and tows through Jan. 2.

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