AUSTIN, TX – It’s expected to be a record-breaking week of travel for the Thanksgiving holiday, both here in Texas and all over the United States

Daniel Armbruster with AAA Texas joins FOX 7 Austin John Krinjak to talk about what Texans need to know whether they hit the road or take to the skies.

JOHN KRINJAK: I understand you’re expecting a record number of Texans to travel for Thanksgiving. What exactly are we looking at?

DANIEL ARMBRUSTER: Yes, considering that 5.7 million Texans — that’s the most we’ve ever predicted — would travel 50 miles or more for Thanksgiving. So, you know, AAA expects busy roads and busy airports. And it will certainly be a Thanksgiving for the record books.

JOHN KRINJAK: If you drive, what do you expect? The busiest times, the busiest roads. Obviously I-35 is going to be crazy, but you know, the busiest days and times and maybe the best time to travel.

DANIEL ARMBRUSTER: Yes, the lightest day to travel will be Thanksgiving Day, which is quite common these days. It used to be Wednesday, the busiest day for travel. But we expect Tuesday to actually be the busiest day for road travel this year, although Wednesday is expected to be very busy. The return Sunday afternoon and evening will also be busy. Monday afternoon will also be busy as you will have holiday commuters heading home as well as those heading home from work.

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JOHN KRINJAK: What are gas prices like and what impact do you think this will have on the travel landscape this year?

DANIEL ARMBRUSTER: These are the lowest gas prices we’ll have seen in Texas since the Thanksgiving pandemic. And it’s certainly encouraging for those looking to take a road trip. This certainly isn’t stopping a lot of people from taking a road trip this year. Gas prices have been below $3 per gallon here in Texas for several months, and we expect it to stay that way until Thanksgiving.

JOHN KRINJAK: And if you’re heading to the airport, ABIA obviously expects to be very busy. What would you recommend to travelers who might be flying somewhere in the next week?

DANIEL ARMBRUSTER: More than 350,000 Texans will fly to their Thanksgiving destination. That’s the highest number ever since Triple A began planning Thanksgiving travel. And that will mean that the airports will be busy from Sunday. You know, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, all those days at the airport will be very busy. Arrive at least two hours early. We know international travel will also be very popular this Thanksgiving. So if you have an international flight, you want to get there at least three hours before your scheduled time.

JOHN KRINJAK: And what should people keep in mind before going on a trip?

DANIEL ARMBRUSTER: Well, firstly, make sure your vehicle is ready for the road trip. We will save more than 29,000 motorists this Thanksgiving here in Texas, as will AAA. And the main reasons we saw last Thanksgiving: flat tires and dead batteries. We want to make sure you have good tires, that they’re healthy, that they have the right air pressure, the right amount of tread. And also make sure that if your batteries are more than three years old, have a trusted mechanic look at your battery, test it and make sure it is still in good condition.

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JOHN KRINJAK: Given the number of people expected to be on the roads, how important are these reminders not to drive impaired, especially during the holidays?

DANIEL ARMBRUSTER: Yes, it is always important to never drive impaired, but we see an increase during the holidays in drunk driving accidents and the number of people driving impaired due to celebrations, parties and so on. 25% of people killed on Texas roads are killed by a drunk driver. So we’re asking everyone, if you’re going to celebrate with alcohol, to have a plan for this holiday season.

JOHN KRINJAK: All right. Daniel Armbruster with AAA Texas. Daniel, thank you as always for joining us. We appreciate it.

DANIEL ARMBRUSTER Thank you, John. Have a happy and safe vacation.

JOHN KRINJAK: Happy Thanksgiving to you.