AAA Carolinas: Thanksgiving Travel By the Numbers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (November 19, 2019) – AAA Carolinas predicts that a record 2.29 million Carolinians will journey 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving, with 1.54 million North Carolinians and 750,000 South Carolinians traveling. This represents a 2.9 percent increase over 2018.The Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as Wednesday, Nov.27, to Sunday Dec.1. “Ninety percent of those traveling this Thanksgiving to visit with family and friends will be doing so with a road trip,” said Tiffany Wright, AAA Carolinas Traffic Safety Foundation President. “The sheer volume of vehicles on the road make this holiday such a dangerous time to travel that’s why we can’t stress enough how important it is to practice safety behind the wheel. Buckle up, don’t speed, never drive distracted or impaired.” By the numbers Automobiles: the vast majority of travelers – around 1.34 million North Carolinians and 678,000 South Carolinians will hit the road this Thanksgiving, nearly 2.8 percent more than last year. Planes: The largest growth in holiday travel is by air, at 4.6 percent, with 107,700 North Carolinians and 53,300 South Carolinians flying to their destinations. Other modes (trains, cruises and buses): 42,500 North Carolinians will use other modes of transportation to arrive at their destination along with 21,300 South Carolinians. Nationwide, more than 55 million Americans will kick off this holiday season with a Thanksgiving trip-the most since 2005. Lower gas prices fuel road trips Gas prices have been fluctuating as of late, but are currently cheaper than the national average at this time last year, giving Americans a little extra money to spend on travel and motivating millions to take road trips. For the majority of Carolinians, prices average about 10 cents less than last Thanksgiving. Gas prices broken down by region: |
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