More travelers expected this Thanksgiving; Missouri State Highway Patrol monitors roads with snow in forecast
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
As the busy Thanksgiving travel season kicks off and millions of people are expected to be traveling within the upcoming days, the Missouri State Highway Patrol will begin its counting period for the 2023 Thanksgiving weekend.
The counting period will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday and will last until 11:59 p.m. Sunday as troopers monitor the number of traffic incidents during the busy travel season.
The Missouri Department of Transportation warned drivers on Wednesday that the state could see its first winter precipitation of the weekend overnight Saturday into Sunday. The wet snow could fall along and north of Interstate 70, MoDOT said, but it will likely be too warm to accumulate very much.
According to the highway patrol, during last year's Thanksgiving counting period there were a total of nine people killed, 482 injured and 1,355 crashes.
AAA predicts a 2.3% increase in travel compared to last year's Thanksgiving, with nearly 50 million Americans getting out on the roads.
The Highway Patrol is encouraging drivers to make sure their cars are in good condition and rested before driving. They also ask to avoid speeding and aggressive driving and to never drive under the influence.
ABC 17 News took part in a ride-along with MSHP Troop F, who say they see several more accidents around this time of year than the day to day average.
The Highway Patrol will have extra troopers out patrolling the main highways and interstates to help assist those who need it, look for people speeding, car break downs, crashes and DWIs
"Speeding is one of the leading causes of motor vehicle crashes, as well as distracted driving," said Cpl. Daniel Dalton with Troop F.
"Keep a safe distance between you and the person in front of you and that way you have plenty of time to react to anything that they may be reacting to," said Dalton.
Gas prices
Gas prices are also lower compared to around this time last year.
Last Thanksgiving the national gas price average was $3.58, according to AAA.
Since gas prices peaked in August at $3.87, gas prices around the state have been dropping. According to AAA, the current average price for regular gas in Missouri is about $2.84. Jefferson City drivers have the highest price in the state at $3.07.
"It helps everybody. I mean, it's good that they can use their money for something else besides putting it in a car," said driver David Nichols.
Even those not traveling this Thanksgiving are notcing the decrease in prices, like Jillian Kolstad with McVey Mowing. As a landscaping company, McVey uses a lot of gas each day.
"It's a lot better than it was last year. It was ridiculous last year," Kolstad said. "Yeah, it's helped a lot."
Peak travel times
In addition to an increase in road travel, air travel is also going up, with nearly 5 million expected to fly this Thanksgiving weekend.
AAA reports the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving are the busiest and most expensive air travel days, with Sunday and Monday being the busiest return times.
Officials say its best to leave earlier than later.
"No matter what day you're leaving, whether it's Wednesday on Thanksgiving or even when you're coming home on Sunday, if you can leave first thing in the morning before 10 a.m., that's going to be your best chance of avoiding some of the increased traffic and increased volume out on the roadways," said AAA spokesperson Nick Chabarria.
AAA says it expects about 1.1 million Missourians to travel this holiday weekend.
