Heading into the holiday weekend, AAA reports that Memorial Day travel forecasts will be the second highest ever.
About 44 million people are expected to travel more than 50 miles over the next few days.
Even if people don't have plans to travel far this weekend, many will be traveling within the state to get to their final destination, said Clay Ingram with AAA Alabama.
“When you have that many vehicles on the road, you're going to have more breakdowns, more crashes, all kinds of issues,” Ingram said, “so we're preparing and we hope that anyone who's out on the road will prepare their vehicle as well.”
The Alabama Department of Law Enforcement announced that the Highway Patrol will be conducting numerous driver's license checkpoints across the state, with law enforcement paying particular attention to speeding, drunk driving, seat belt violations and distracted driving this weekend.
With 38.4 million people expected to travel by car across the country over the holiday weekend alone, Ingram said more vehicles are expected to be on the roads, making distractions even more dangerous.
“There's a lot more traffic around than normal. They're closer than normal, so your reaction time is shorter and your margin for error is smaller,” Ingram said. “So it's a lot more important than normal to avoid distractions, and that's always important.”
If you haven't yet left for the holiday weekend, AAA recommends checking a few things about your car to ensure your safety on the roads: They recommend having a professional check your car before you hit the road, and at the very least, take a few minutes to check your fluid levels, tire pressure, and make sure all your lights are in working order.
Kelly Wood was on his way home from a vacation in Florida when he stopped in Athens to get gas. He told WAAY 31 he got stuck in traffic on Friday and nearly got into an accident.
Luckily for Wood, he was on his way back from Florida, but those heading south have a long drive ahead of them.
“Traffic was really bad from Montgomery to Birmingham, and then it got a little backed up after Birmingham,” Wood said. “It was pretty backed up, but it seemed to be worse for people heading south.”
Ingram said giving yourself plenty of time on the road can make driving less stressful and keep you safer.
Air travel is also expected to increase significantly this weekend, with 3.5 million people expected to fly, according to AAA. Ingram recommends arriving at the airport about three hours early, instead of the usual two. Being prepared this weekend is key to having a successful and safe holiday, he said.
