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Roughly one-sixth of the complete U.S. inhabitants is about to hit the highway or take to the skies throughout some portion of the prolonged Thanksgiving vacation weekend, marking the third-highest late November journey quantity since AAA started monitoring the determine 20 years in the past.
The motoring group estimates 54.6 million individuals will enterprise a minimum of 50 miles from residence for the five-day interval between Nov. 23 and Nov. 27, together with 48.7 million certain for his or her vacation locations by automobile.
In Alabama, the state freeway division is tapping the brakes on ongoing freeway building tasks throughout the heightened journey interval, an effort to scale back danger and distractions for each motorists and pedestrians.
“For the protection of the touring public, building trade staff and upkeep crews, the Alabama Division of Transportation may have no momentary lane closures on interstates after midday Wednesday, Nov. 23 by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 27,” the Alabama Division of Transportation (ALDOT) stated in a pre-Thanksgiving launch.
“All year long, ALDOT limits highway building throughout main holidays. Emergency lane closures could also be potential, relying on particular circumstances on interstates and different state roadways.”
Nationwide, the Thanksgiving-week journey turnout marks a 1.5 p.c enhance over the identical holiday-period quantity final 12 months, and, as AAA notes, almost returns U.S. vacation journey to its pre-COVID-19 stage. The estimated 55 million individuals anticipated to make a journey this week brings Thanksgiving journey totals, says the nonprofit, to “98% of pre-pandemic volumes.”
“Thanksgiving is often essentially the most traveled vacation of the 12 months,” stated ALDOT Drive Protected Alabama coordinator Allison Inexperienced within the company’s statewide bulletin. “Halting highway work throughout this time will assist alleviate congestion on Alabama highways. Drivers can do their half to verify they get their passengers to their vacation celebration safely by specializing in their tasks behind the wheel.”
ALDOT presents the next highway security suggestions and data forward of the busy Thanksgiving journey interval:
- Don’t drive inebriated or medication. Designating a sober driver earlier than ingesting is essential to stopping lethal crashes.
- Buckle up, each seat, each time. Surviving a crash is more likely when sporting a seatbelt. Greater than 50 p.c of individuals dying in crashes in Alabama should not sporting a seatbelt.
- Restrict distractions. A driver who’s distracted is 23 occasions extra more likely to get right into a crash than somebody who’s driving alert. Drivers ought to by no means textual content, tweet, or use a cell machine whereas working a automobile.
Motorists planning their vacation journey route can discover Alabama visitors and highway situation data at www.ALGOtraffic.com or by way of the ALGO Visitors app.
Benjamin Bullard might be reached by telephone at 256-734-2131 ext. 234.
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