Traffic moves along Tr. 224 in Boardman Friday afternoon. This image is looking west from near the Market Street intersection. Photo by R. Michael Semple
It’s predicted that more Americans than ever — 115.6 million — will be traveling this holiday season.
That is the most since AAA began tracking in 2000, and represents an increase of 3.9 percent, or 4.3 million more people, packing up their sleighs for travel.
“With unemployment at historically low levels, millions of Americans will put a bow on 2019 with a trip to see family and friends,” said Jim Lehman, president of AAA East Central. “It’s great to see so many people decide to take this opportunity to make new holiday memories that will last them a lifetime.”
The East North Central region of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin will see about 19 million travelers, with 17 million traveling by ground, 1 million traveling by air and the rest traveling by a different method.
With more holiday travelers driving to their destinations, distractions and stress can be expected.
“It gets frustrating when there’s a lot of traffic and you all want to get to where you’re going safely,” said Lt. Brad Bucey, Ohio State Highway Patrol Canfield Post commander.
AAA and local safety officers urge drivers to keep calm and focus on safely getting to their destinations.
“It’s best to not retaliate against someone who cuts you off or does something to make you angry. You don’t want to get into a road rage situation that could lead to tragedy,” Bucey said. “I’d recommend taking a break to get coffee or to do something. Odds are you may be driving alongside the same people for quite some time, so do something to make a separation.”
Over the last five years, between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, there have been 1,171 crashes statewide involving a distracted driver. These crashes have resulted in two deaths and 276 injuries. Last year, 47 fatal traffic crashes attributed to distracted driving caused 51 deaths on Ohio’s roads, according to the state patrol.
“Those numbers aren’t just statistics, they represent lives — parents, spouses, siblings, and friends,” said Col. Richard S. Fambro, patrol superintendent, in a news release. “Distracted driving is unsafe and irresponsible, and in a split second, the consequences can be devastating for families.”
Distractions don’t just come from other drivers: distracted driving is any non-driving activity with the potential to distract a person from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing. Distractions can be visual, taking eyes off of the road; manual, taking hands off the wheel; or cognitive, taking the mind off driving.
Texting while driving is an example that results in all three types of distraction. Sending or receiving a text message takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent of driving the length of an entire football field when traveling at 55 mph, according to the patrol.
“The holiday season is the perfect time to eliminate distractions, such as cell phones, while you drive,” said Gov. Mike DeWine. “Protect yourself, your family, and others on the road by committing to safe driving habits.”
As a reminder, Ohio law bans all electronic wireless communication device usage for drivers under 18. Texting while driving is illegal for all drivers and is a secondary offense for adults 18 and above.
Distracted driving should be reason enough to pull someone over in Ohio, DeWine said Friday as he promised a legislative proposal soon to upgrade the offense. DeWine also said it’s time for a cultural recognition that distracted driving is just as bad as driving while drunk.
“Smart phones have turned a lot of people into really dumb drivers,” DeWine said at a news conference promoting safe driving over the holidays. DeWine said he hoped to have a proposal to make distracted driving a primary offense to the Legislature soon.
Another stress factor for drivers is being prepared for high traffic during inclement weather.
More than 853,000 motorists will call AAA for assistance at the roadside this holiday season. Dead batteries, flat tires and lockouts will be the leading reasons AAA members will experience car trouble.
“It’s always recommended that you pack the essentials, a cell phone charger, an extra blanket, some water just in case you get stranded. You could also pack kits with safety flares or reflectors to make yourself more visible to other drivers,” Bucey said.
Bucey also recommended that drivers take their vehicles to a trusted repair facility to perform any needed maintenance before heading out on a road trip.
2019-12-22 05:03:38Z
https://www.vindy.com/news/local-news/2019/12/record-breaking-travel-expected/
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