SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Thanksgiving may have ended, but holiday traffic continues to clog Southern California freeways as millions of travelers make their way home from the long weekend.
AAA predicts 73 million travelers nationwide, with about 90% choosing to drive. That's up nearly 1.5 million from last year, making this one of the busiest travel periods on record.
The Auto Club of Southern California says Sunday is one of the busiest travel days this week, with drivers facing longer backups than usual as people wrap up their holiday road trips.
"Over the last several days, the auto club was projecting nearly 6.8 million people in Southern California were traveling for Thanksgiving," said Doug Shupe, a spokesperson with Auto Club. "A lot of people are going to be wrapping up those road trips today, and that's why we're anticipating busy freeways all across Southern California."
The travel period spans from last Tuesday through Monday, with nearly 6 million people expected on Southern California roads Sunday alone.
Shupe recommends leaving early and expecting delays for anyone still traveling.
"We will see lighter traffic on the roadway Monday morning compared to what we're expected to see this afternoon and this evening," Shupe said.
This record-breaking Thanksgiving travel is just the beginning for what's expected to be a busy holiday season. Auto Club officials recommend preparing vehicles for future road trips to avoid breakdowns.
"The primary reasons why people call AAA for help are dead batteries, flat tires, and then people getting locked out of their vehicles," Shupe said.
AAA expects more than 147,000 stranded drivers during the holiday travel period.
"Doing a little preventative maintenance on that vehicle will hopefully make your return trip from Thanksgiving and your next holiday road trip safe," Shupe said.
For travelers wanting their holiday season remembered for wonderful memories rather than road accidents, Shupe advises checking vehicles before hitting the road.
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