Triple A Predicts 3.7 Million SoCal Residents To Hit The Roads This Thanksgiving Holiday

From the skies to the roads, Triple A says over a million more drivers will be heading to their Thanksgiving destination this year compared to last year.

“The overall travel volume is a record high for a second year in a row and it’s about three percent higher than what we saw last Thanksgiving.” Doug Shupe, a Spokesperson for the Auto Club of Southern California says.

Triple A says about 3.7 million Southern California residents will hit the roads, and here in the Coachella Valley, we’re seeing the holiday traffic heavier than in years past.

“I feel like a lot of the roads are closed and there’s a lot of construction going on, so I feel like it’s worse this year…but I mean, just with other people traveling I feel like there’s just a lot more traffic.” Anna Cortez, a Palm Springs resident adds.

The extra holiday traffic, affecting the day to day lives of many Coachella Valley residents.

“It’s a lot like, I have to leave my house now, like almost 30 minutes before I have to go into where it gets. It’s annoying.” another resident says.

As far as staying safe with the extra cars on the roads, Triple A suggests, taking extra time to get to your destination safely.

“Be considerate of other drivers. Make sure that if you are driving a long way, you get a good night’s sleep, at least seven hours of good sleep before a long road trip. Make sure everybody’s buckled up in the car and stays seat-belted in for the entire journey.” Shupe says.

The organization also adds that Wednesday through Sunday will most likely be the busiest travel days for those hitting the roads, and for those that do have travel plans, to leave as early in the day as possible to avoid any rush-hour traffic.