Thanksgiving 2017: Traffic Tips for North Carolina Highways

MOORESVILLE, NC -- Thanksgiving kicks off the festive holiday season and is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. According to AAA, 2.1 million drivers from the Carolinas will travel more than 50 miles over the holiday weekend, up more than three percent over the same travel period last year.

Without a game plan, drivers can easily fall into traffic jams and delays.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation issued travel advice for this week to update drivers before they leave home how best to avoid travel delays. North Carolina law enforcement will also be participating in an “I-40 Thanksgiving Challenge” alongside law enforcement from seven states aimed at pushing a zero fatality rate along the more than 2,500-mile-long interstate.

North Carolina troopers will be stationed every 20 miles along I-40, during heavy travel periods between 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 22, and again from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26.

“As we approach this busy travel time across our state, we encourage everyone to think of the importance of traffic safety,” said Colonel Glenn M. McNeill Jr., commander of the North Carolina’s State Highway Patrol. “The goal of our agency is to ensure everyone spends this Thanksgiving enjoying time with friends and family, while we work together to avoid the consequences of being involved in a serious vehicle collision.”

NCDOT urges motorist to remember the following:

• Plan ahead
• Check for traffic updates prior to beginning a trip using www.drivenc.gov
• Limit distractions
• All occupants wear seatbelts
• Obey speed limits
• Take advantage of the many safe ways to get home after consuming alcohol
• Travelers can contribute to highway safety by reporting dangerous drivers by dialing *HP or (*47) on a cellular phone. Callers should give the description of the vehicle, location, direction of travel and license plate number if at all possible.

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