If your planning on hitting the road this holiday season, you are not alone. In fact, AAA says that more Americans than ever on record – 115.6 million – will travel this holiday season, from Sunday, Dec. 21st through Wednesday, Jan. 1st. They say it will be the most in nearly 20 years since AAA began tracking in the year 2000. AAA also says that the number of holiday travelers represents an increase of 3.9% over last year, or about 4.3 million more people.

AAA says that more than 104 million of those holiday travelers will drive to their destinations and, according to INRIX, a global transportation analytics company, expects delays to be the worst on Thursday, Dec. 26th, with afternoon delays reaching nearly double congestion-free drive times in major U.S. cities.

The numbers in Massachusetts are also way up, with the highest numbers in almost 20 years, with over 2.5 million residents planning to travel, 2.2 million of them by car.

AAA also reminds us that traveling can be stressful during the holidays and that keeping a cool head will help you to reach your destination safely. AAA offers these tips to help prevent road rage:

  • Do Not Offend: Never cause another driver to change their speed or direction. That means not forcing another driver to use their brakes, or turn the steering wheel in response to something you have done.
  • Be Tolerant and Forgiving: The other driver may just be having a really bad day. Assume that it is not personal.
  • Do Not Respond: Avoid eye contact, don’t make gestures, maintain space around your vehicle and contact 9-1-1 if needed.

You can get more statistics and travel information by visiting AAA’s website.

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