With low gas prices, the highways are expected to be busy this Thanksgiving holiday. High traffic is anticipated on the Wednesday prior and the Sunday following.
If you are planning on driving to your holiday destination, there’s a number of things you can do to prepare before you get on the roads.
“Some of the things you can start preparing for now, is to have your vehicle checked out. Take it somewhere and have them check the fluid levels and check the tires. Typically, that’s some of the common problems we see on the roadway, when people are broken down, is they’ll either have a flat tire, a blown out tire, or they have a problem with their anti-freeze level or their oil levels, something like that,” said Lieutenant Bryan Witt, with the Department of Public Safety.
In addition to getting your car serviced, you should also make sure to pack your car with safety items like extra blankets, water, snacks, flashlights and batteries, Witt said.
“Some of the safety tips you can do as you prepare to get out of the roads is: No. 1, don’t speed, plan your trip out where you have plenty of time to get where you’re going. You can go to Texas.org, and you can check the road conditions prior to leaving and then check your weather forecast for the weekend. Plan your trip around when the road is going to be clear. Before you get on the roadways put your seat belt on; it’s the law. Everybody in the vehicle has to have their seat belt on,” Witt said.
With so many drivers on the road, the number of citations and fines issued typically increases.
“During the 2017 Thanksgiving period, DPS troopers issued more than 73,000 citations and warnings. That is a lot of violations. Over 8,000 of those were speeding, 1,000 of those were seat belt violations, whether they’re adult seat belts or child safety seats. And, we arrested over 300 DWIs, driving while intoxicated. So, that’s something you can eliminate to begin with. You cannot speed, put your seat belt on and don’t drink and drive, ” Witt said.
With all the anticipated traffic on the roadways, this Thanksgiving holiday, make sure you’re driving safe, try to avoid any distractions while driving, and always buckle up. But, if you do find yourself stranded, look on the back of your driver’s license, call the roadside assistance number and an officer will come to your location.