PANAMA CITY BEACH — The American Automobile Association (AAA) expects record-setting travel numbers as the year comes to a close.
According to a AAA press release, from Dec. 21-Jan. 1, AAA predicts 7.1 million Floridians will travel 50 miles or more from home. That’s 220,000 more travelers than the previous record high, which was set just last year.
Nationwide, AAA expects 119.3 million travelers, which is 3 million more than last year and also a record high.
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“Travelers should expect the roads, airports and cruise terminals to be more crowded than normal,” Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAA, said in the release.
There were 6.5 million year-end Florida travelers in 2022 and 6.9 million in 2023. This year, there are expected to be 7.1 million. Of those, 6.4 million are expected to travel by automobile and 383,228 by air.
The record-setting end-of-year travel period comes on the heels of an equally robust Thanksgiving travel season both in Florida and nationally.
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AAA offers some road safety tips for drivers. Among them: follow the speed limit, remain alert, avoid overnight journeys, take a break every two hours or 100 miles, and follow the “move over” laws and practices.
dcsmith@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: AAA expects a record-breaking number of year-end travelers