MD Holiday Travel 2017: Best And Worst Times, DUI Crashes Climb

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland families will join a record number of Americans expected to travel during the year-end holiday period by car, air and train as they head to their destinations, the American Auto Association says. Some 107 million Americans will travel as the year comes to a close, marking the highest year-end travel volume on record.

AAA MidAtlantic estimates nearly 2.3 million Marylanders will travel between Saturday, Dec. 23, and Monday, Jan. 1, reflecting a 3.2 percent increase over 2016, and the highest volume on record for this holiday season since 2001, when AAA began forecasting holiday travel volume.

"Because the year-end holiday travel period always encompasses two weekends, travel volume is the highest of all travel holiday weekends throughout the year,” said Ragina Cooper Averella, manager of Public and Government Affairs at AAA Mid-Atlantic, in a news release. “This year, AAA’s forecast reflects a record-breaking volume of travelers thanks to a strong economy and labor market that are generating rising incomes and confident consumers. Marylanders are willing to open up their wallets not only for holiday shopping, but to spend on travel this holiday season, as well.”

Travelers are not being deterred by rising gas prices to travel less. As of Sunday, December 17, Maryland’s average price was $2.42 per gallon, which reflects a 2 cent decrease from last week and a 9 cent price drop from last month, but a 13-cent increase over last year’s price on this date.

Last year, Marylanders paid an average price of $2.30 per gallon for regular gasoline on Christmas Day and an average of $2.34 on New Year’s Eve.

A majority of travelers will be hitting the roads to get to their destinations. AAA, which partnered with transportation analytics company INRIX, predicts travel times during the holiday week could be as much as three times longer than the normal trip.

Road Travel

Here's what AAA projects to be the worst travel times for major metro areas:
Washington, DC
Worst day and time for travel: Thursday, Dec. 21, 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Travel time could be as much as two and a half times longer than the normal trip.

Atlanta, Georgia
Worst day and time for travel: Thursday, Dec. 21, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Travel time could be as much as one and a half times longer than the normal trip.

Drunk Drivers On Highways

Maryland State Police said officers were called to an increased number of alcohol-related crashes this weekend throughout the state. From Friday, Dec. 15, through the early morning hours of Monday, Dec. 18, troopers responded to 18 crashes involving alcohol across the state. Last year at the same time, Maryland State Police responded to 13 alcohol related crashes statewide.

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See Also: Holiday Travel 2017

Troopers from each of the 23 Maryland State Police barracks will continue to focus on impaired driving, aggressive driving, speeding, distracted driving and other violations that authorities say often contribute to highway tragedies. Additional troopers will be working overtime assignments funded by highway safety grants.

Extra holiday traffic this week through New Year’s includes additional Maryland state troopers who will be using a variety of patrol initiatives to keep traffic moving, respond quickly to highway incidents and take appropriate enforcement action when violations are observed that threaten the safety of travelers. Troopers urge drivers to avoid impaired driving and plan for a designated driver or a sober ride home. Help us keep Maryland highways safe throughout this holiday season.

Air Travel

For those traveling by air, TSA is expecting to screen more than 40 million passengers and crew through Jan 2. Passengers should plan to be at the airport two hours prior for a domestic flight and three hours prior for an international flight.

The TSA is also reminding passengers of new screening procedures being introduced in all airports. The new procedures involve requiring passengers to place electronic devices larger than a cellphone in bins for X-Ray screening.

The TSA marks the holiday travel period as between Dec. 15 and Jan. 2. The busiest travel days for air are expected to be Dec. 21 and Dec. 22. The Tuesday through Friday after Christmas and the Tuesday after New Year's Eve are also expected to be busy.

At BWI Airport, the hourly parking garage adjacent to the terminal is free for the first hour to pick up or drop off family members or friends through Jan. 15. The airport's Cell Phone Lot will also be enlarged through the holidays to handle more vehicles. The free location lets drivers wait away from the airport terminal until arriving passengers call.

Also during the holidays, commercial vehicles are required to use the upper level/departures level roadway to drop off and pick up all customers. This change includes hotel shuttles, off-airport parking shuttles, and Uber and Lyft drivers.

Passengers traveling with gifts are advised not to wrap the gifts because agents will need to unwrap them in case they trigger an alarm.

Minimize Your Wait

• Prepare for new screening procedures – The TSA is implementing new screening procedures which require passengers to remove electronic devices larger than a cell phone from carry-on baggage. The TSA also recommends placing food items in bins for easier screening. Pack your carry-ons accordingly by putting items like electronics, toiletries and food in easily accessible places.
• Enroll in a trusted traveler program – Trusted traveler programs like TSA Pre✓® and CLEARprovide passengers an easy alternative to standard screening procedures and speed-up the security screening process. If traveling abroad, consider enrolling in Global Entry or using Mobile Passport to expedite Customs processing upon your return.

General Airport Tips

• Re-confirm the status of your flight with your airline before arriving at the airport.
• Expect full flights and full luggage bins on board.
• Bring government-issued I.D. for all adult travelers and passports for all travelers on international trips.
• Keep valuables out of plain sight and pack them in carry-on luggage only. Remember to lock cars and take the key.
• Leave gifts unwrapped until after the flight.

Travel booking website KAYAK has a feature on its app (for both iOSand Android devices) that lets you check the estimated security line wait times, which is collected through real-time feedback from app users and the TSA website

For more travel tips, check out the TSA holiday travel blog.

Health Tips

Dr. David Barlas, an emergency room physician at NYU Langone, says the best trip is a safe trip. Barlas spoke with Patch and offered a few simple trip for a safer travel experience.

He says one of the most important things for travelers to have on hand is a photo of both their medical history and of any medications they may be taking. The best way to do this is to take a photo on a cellphone of both your medical history and of any pill bottles. He also recommends having your doctor's phone number on hand.

Travelers should also carry antihistamines for potential allergic reactions. Those traveling with children can carry liquid antihistamines but should check with their pediatricians about dosage, Barlas said. The plus side to liquid antihistamines is that adults can also take them.

Those prone to severe allergic reactions who have been prescribed an EpiPen should have the device on hand.
Carrying pain relievers like Tylenol and Advil is also a good idea.

Travelers with a history of heart problems or those over 50 should also carry a copy of an EKG with them, Barlas said. In emergency situations, it's useful to have one on hand to compare to a current EKG.

For emergency situations, Barlas says it's also useful to have a contact listed as ICE (in case of emergency) on one's phone as EMTs look for this information. Contacts listed as "mom" "dad" "wife" etc. are also useful for this purpose.

One of the final things Barlas recommends is carrying any medications in their original bottles, especially when traveling to a foreign country. Anyone with any unusual medications for things like chronic pain or seizures should carry a note from their doctor as the substances may be illegal in a foreign country.
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