The year-end holiday season always means busy freeways. In 2012, over 94 million Americans traveled fifty miles or more from home in the period encompassing Christmas and the New Year, according to AAA. This year, AAA predicts an increase of .6 percent, which would mean over 94.5 million holiday travelers.
AAA says this is part of an upward trend that covers the past five years, and is expected to continue. Proving that we’re still a nation on the road, AAA estimates that over 91 percent of holiday travelers will go by car rather than airplane or train. In fact, air travel continues to decline slightly in spite of a decrease in airfares, while the average distance traveled by car has gone up.
The automobile association isn’t just tracking the numbers for economic reasons, of course. AAA expects that almost four million motorists will be calling upon its roadside assistance services between December 21 and January 1. Most of the complaints will be dead batteries, lockouts, breakdowns and flat tires. With this in mind, AAA reminds drivers to check fluids, tire pressures and battery condition before embarking upon any family trip.
