The beginning of a busy holiday travel season starts this weekend

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – This weekend marks the start of one of the busiest travel periods of the year, not just here in south-central Kentucky but across the country.

AAA estimates about 122 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home this holiday season. More than 109 million of those travelers will be on the road. All that traffic can lead to congestion, crashes, and in some areas, weather-related delays that could slow down holiday plans. Last year, AAA responded to hundreds of thousands of roadside assistance calls from stranded drivers.

“Last year during the holiday period, AAA rescued more than 860,000 people at the roadside. So hopefully you can do things to ensure you’re not one of them. Take that vehicle to a trusted repair facility and just have everything checked. You want to make sure your tires have the proper tread. You want to make sure your battery is in proper working condition. Because colder weather is hard on car batteries, and if your battery is more than three years old, you definitely want to have it checked,” said Lynda Lambert, a media spokesperson with AAA East Central.

There is a silver lining for those traveling on the road this year though. Gas prices continue to drop, reaching prices not seen in half a decade, averaging around $2.89 per gallon at the pump this holiday season. Although for people traveling with airlines, those prices continue to rise with ticket costs reaching around $900, a 7% increase from the year prior.

“You’re going to save at the pump this year because prices continue to trend downward. Today’s national average is $2.89, and more than 30 states now have gasoline averages below the $3 mark. This is the cheapest December gas we’ve seen since 2020. So that’s a bonus for those 109 million Americans who will be driving to their holiday destination. Airfare is more expensive this year. Have you flown lately? You’ve probably realized that the average ticket price for a holiday airline ticket is around $900, and that’s up about 7% over last year,” Lambert says.

Lambert says to always stay prepared, check the weather and keep your car in the best shape before you hit the road to get to your destination.