Travel Tips to Avoid Accidents this Busy Thanksgiving Holiday

Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for millions of Americans for many reasons. Sitting down to a great meal, watching football on TV, and shopping over the long four-day weekend all contribute to fun at Thanksgiving, especially when you do so with family. Bringing everyone together is always a challenge this time of year as so many people will be traveling during the upcoming holiday week.

According to AAA, 48.7 million Americans are going to travel more than 50 miles for Thanksgiving, an increase from the last year and the largest amount since 2007. Heading out in the car remains the most popular method of transportation with a staggering 89 percent of travelers arriving at their destination in a motor vehicle.

With so many people on the road, there is plenty of opportunity for an accident to occur. The days leading up to Thanksgiving see more and more people trying to avoid traffic jams. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving remains one of the most traveled days of the year, especially between 4 and 5 p.m. AAA and Google, which conducted its own Thanksgiving traffic analysis, also report Monday and Tuesday see a large number of drivers on the road, mainly during the late afternoon or early evening. It is recommended to begin your travels before 7am or after 8pm. Leave plenty of time if you plan on flying to your destination, not only for long lines at the airport but for the search for parking. It is easy to become distracted looking for a parking space, as lots and garages fill to capacity quickly this time of year.

While Thanksgiving Day is usually the lightest traffic day of the holiday weekend in most areas, that is not the case in New York City. With street closures due to the parade, tourists walking around the city and hailing taxis to get around, and residents heading to buses and subways to travel to their own destinations for the day, the island of Manhattan becomes quite crowded, specifically between 2 and 3 p.m.

Driving home is no easy ride as well. If you want to beat the rush, head back on Friday, but try to avoid roads and highways near large shopping areas, as many people will be out looking for Black Friday sales. While Sunday may seem like it would be the day with the most traffic on Thanksgiving weekend, it is actually Saturday when more people are back on the road. Traffic studies over the past few years show close to 10 percent more traffic heading back into the City on Saturday than on Sunday. If you must get in car on that day, plan to start your journey by 6am.

Thanksgiving is meant to be a joyous time for families and friends to come together and celebrate. Spending that time stuck in traffic is not time spent well. Having to deal with the ramifications of an accident is even worse. If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident, there are many steps involved in obtaining the money you deserve for your injuries. You need an attorney who is skilled in taking on insurance companies for a successful outcome. Please contact the law firm of Finz & Finz, P.C., today