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AAA expects more drivers on the road this Thanksgiving

Delaware Public Media

More than 128,000 Delawareans are expected to travel more than 50 miles from home for Thanksgiving next week according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.

That would mark the seventh straight annual increase for the year's busiest holiday travel weekend.

AAA Mid-Atlantic says it projects 90 percent of Delawareans will drive to their Thanksgiving destinations and AAA spokeswoman Kathleen Miller offers one possible reason why.

"I think a lot of people are finding that gas prices are slowly inching down," said Miller. "It's fun within the budget to get those kinds of prices for gas and hit the road."

 

Miller adds that with gas prices lower driving is also potentially more attractive than flying.

 

"So, it just might be easier as far as having to get to the airport so far in advance, go through security, by the time you go through all that, get on the plane, get off the plane, get to where you're going," said Miller. "Some people might find that it's just easier to get in the car and go."

 

In fact, air travel saw the only decline in AAA's projections for this year over Thanksgiving last year, with fewer than 10,000 Delawareans expected to travel by plane.  That's a 3 percent drop.

Nationally, almost 47 million Americans will embark on Thanksgiving trips of more than 50 miles -- 300,000 more than last year.

The holiday is defined this year as Wednesday the 25th to Sunday the 29th. Miller says those first and last days will be the peak travel times, and reminds drivers to give their car a check-up and plan ahead to avoid delays and breakdowns.