Nov 22, 2016 2 min read

Drivers taking to the road during the Thanksgiving holiday will find themselves joined by many other motorists, as more are expected to hit the highway this year.

In the mid-Atlantic region, which includes Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, AAA is predicting that 5.17 million people will travel by vehicle. That is up two percent from last year, thanks to the second-cheapest gas prices in almost a decade.

Good weather is forecast for holiday driving, said Jay Ofsanik, safety press officer for the state Department of Transportation’s District 12.

“It looks like the weather is going to hold out, so there will be more drivers out there,” Ofsanik said, adding no snow is predicted and the temperatures are expected to be in the 40s and 50s.

Ofsanik recommends that drivers slow down, don’t operate a vehicle while impaired and make sure they and the occupants of their vehicle are buckled up. Ofsanik said 150 state and local police departments across Pennsylvania will be participating in the Click It or Ticket campaign that started Sunday and will continue through Dec. 4.

State police will have increased enforcement patrols through Sunday, aimed at stopping aggressive and impaired drivers. They encourage people who are drinking to appoint a designated driver.

State police also recommend that those traveling carry a cellphone and charger in case of an emergency. Troopers also suggest avoiding any distractions, including talking on the phone and texting.

“We want people to enjoy the holiday and share fond memories, not of someone being hurt or killed in a crash,” Ofsanik said.

Traveling by vehicle is not the only way people will be getting around this Thanksgiving. Another 483,000 people in the mid-Atlantic region will fly to their destinations, according to AAA, an increase of eight percent from last year.

For more information on the condition of highways in the state, including traffic speeds, go to www.511PA.com.