RICHMOND, Va. -- In Virginia, more people are expected to travel for Thanksgiving than last year, according to AAA.
The organization predicts nearly 1.4 million Virginians will travel for the holiday.
Experts anticipate Wednesday and Sunday to be the busiest travel days. They encourage people to avoid peak travel times for the most headache-free travel.
“Leave before 11 AM on Wednesday or wait out the evening commute and leave sometime later,” said AAA spokesperson Morgan Dean.
AAA said roadways are expected to be the most crowded with 90% of travelers planning to drive.
David Halfaday began his drive on Tuesday ahead of the rush from Houston to several Virginia cities. He said he was happy to see that gas prices are down roughly 29 cents from this time last year.
It’s always a blessing you know with everything going up and down. It’s always nice to have a little bit of a break,” he shared.
Kyra Smith and her son Blake were at the Richmond International Airport on Tuesday flying home to visit family in California. They took expert advice to arrive at least 2 hours before their flight as well as booking a flight earlier in the day to give them more flight options if they run into difficulties.
“You got to carry pretty much everything by yourself and especially when they're this small.. as long as you are prepared for it then they are fine,” Smith said.
Virginia State Police also reminds drivers to make sure to leave enough space between cars to help avoid accidents.
They found that 11% of all crashes on Virginia roadways in 2022 were due to people following cars too closely.
They encourage drivers to follow their two, three, four rule. Drivers should give two seconds of space if the speed limit is under 35, three seconds if the speed limit is under 45 and four seconds of space if the speed limit is over 45.
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