Christmas is just around the corner and we want to be sure you arrive safely wherever you’re headed. Make sure your vehicle is safe for holiday travel at Robert”s Collision and Repair in Monterey. But how do you know when to avoid the traffic? Good news! AAA and Waze, the consumer-controlled traffic app offer this holiday traffic forecast.
According to AAA, in 2017, more than 100 million Americans will travel between December 23 and January 3. That’s the largest number of cars on the road ever predicted during this holiday.
According to Waze, this year, the worst day to travel will be Wednesday, Dec. 23 with vehicles starting to crawl along the highways as early as 11 a.m. You may as well stay at work and earn points with your boss, especially as the roads are expected to be tied up until at least 6 p.m.
Christmas Eve will be even worse starting at noon and extending all the way through Thursday evening. The return trip also offers surprises. Waze says Sunday, Dec. 27 is the worst day to escape the family. On that day, Waze estimates it will send 87 percent more traffic jam alerts, flag 14 more accidents, identify 23 percent more road hazards, and display 33 percent more police notifications.
So, when should you hit the road? You might try leaving December 22 and returning the 26th or 28th. Or better yet, you could host the holiday gathering yourself and let everyone else worry about the traffic.