Best Time to Travel at Thanksgiving and Why Drivers Should Move Over!
Philadelphia comes in 9th nationwide as a top Thanksgiving travel destination so Philadelphia area residents might want to consider the best time to travel at Thanksgiving. More than half a million Philadelphia area residents are expected to be traveling more than 50 miles this Thanksgiving and 89% of those will be traveling by car.
Thanksgiving dinner brings friends and relatives together from near and far, and a tasty Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma’s house is a tradition worthy of bearing the traffic. To help you get to your Thanksgiving destination, here are a few tips on the best time to travel at Thanksgiving.
Historically November is the 4th deadliest month of the year to drive. In general, the deadliest days of the week to drive are Friday and Saturday; Sunday and Tuesday are the safest days of the week to drive. However Thanksgiving week is different. The best times to travel at Thanksgiving are Thursday and Friday. Wednesday and Sunday are the worst two days to travel.
If you cannot travel on the best days, adjusting your departure time can help. On Thanksgiving week, the best time to travel at Thanksgiving is early Tuesday before 1 p.m., and Wednesday morning before 11 a.m. Thursday and Friday traffic is similar to a weekend day and not a work day. Saturday is a small increase from Thursday and Friday traffic. On Sunday, the best time to travel is before 1 p.m. Peak Sunday traffic is between 1 pm and 6 pm.
Regardless of when you are traveling, please be a safe and courteous driver and don’t forget to Move Over! Slow Cruising in the Left Lane Contributes to Traffic Jams and Car Accidents. Backed by statistics, this is my personal pet peeve. I’ve heard all the excuses – I’ll move over when someone comes up behind me… I’m going to pass someone eventually… I’m driving fast enough… The truth is that cruising in the left lane contributes to traffic jams and car accidents. There is nothing more frustrating than to get behind a car cruising in the left lane that is not passing. It holds up traffic and upsets the safe flow of travel. Drivers wanting to travel at a faster speed will have 2 options – to slow down and accept the speed limit that the left lane cruiser has set for everyone behind them, or to pass on the right if they can find an opening. Moving over late in the game doesn’t work well either. Approaching cars typically anticipate the left lane cruiser far before they are behind them and have already positioned themselves to pass on the right. Not only does cruising in the left lane contribute to traffic jams, it causes irregular traffic patterns and contributes to an increase in car accidents. So make the extra effort this Thanksgiving, and move over after passing. It will help to keep traffic flowing and the roads safer!
Finally, don’t forget the 3 safety basics: Wear your seat belt, drive at a safe speed for the road conditions, and pay full attention to the road. These 3 basic driving tips are important for safe travel not only on Thanksgiving, but every day.
Happy Thanksgiving and Safe Travels!