PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) – Thanksgiving travel is expected to be up this year, with New England expected to have the highest volume of travelers since Triple A started keep track in 2000.

According to Pat Moody, the Director of Public Affairs for Triple A New England, nationwide about 55 million Americans are expected to travel, which is about a 1.5% increase over last year. 2.5 million New Englanders are expected to travel, with 2.1 of those being by automobile. Moody attributes this increase to pent up travel demand after the pandemic. He says people are feeling safer and are anxious to return to family and family traditions. But with so many people on the roads, he says, it’s important to keep safety in mind.

Pat Moody, the Director of Public Affairs for AAA Northern New England says, “From a traffic safety perspective, you really need to be on top of your game. Focused and impairment free when you’re traveling with so many people out there. Do your best to drive safely, give yourself enough time to get there, without having to rush. Plan your route accordingly, let folks know when you’re leaving and when you plan to arrive so that they can plan for it as well and in case anything happens along the way. In terms of preparing your vehicle, it’s always a good idea to have your vehicle checked out, evaluated by a trusted technician.”

Moody adds if driving, the best times to travel to avoid peak traffic times, are Wednesday and Thursday morning. He recommends avoiding 4 to 8 PM Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as that will be heavy congestion times if you are traveling in highly populated areas.

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