ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Travel experts say we have a record number of drivers on the road with holiday trips in full swing.
According to AAA, 7.5 million people in Florida alone are expected to travel through New Year’s. That’s about a 3.5% jump from last year, and Central Florida roads are among the busiest.
“If you are looking to travel and want to avoid congestion, the lightest days out on the road will likely be on the holidays themselves,“ said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins. ”The days leading up to and after the holidays are when you are going to see more traffic out there on the roadways.”
More traffic also means an increased chance for crashes. We’ve seen many bad situations this week already, including on Monday when traffic was brought to a standstill on Interstate 95 in Brevard County. A 34-year-old was killed when troopers say a big rig slammed into the back of a disabled truck.
Just Tuesday night in Lake County, a woman suffered fatal injuries in a crash involving five cars on U.S. 27 in Clermont.
Also Tuesday, there was an awful scene in Seminole County, where four people were injured in a crash involving six vehicles on Red Bug Lake Road. Crews had to cut the roof off of one car to reach the driver.
When it comes to the best times to travel, AAA says drivers should avoid the afternoon or early evening and are urged to leave early in the morning if possible.
As for Orlando International Airport, Wednesday and Thursday will be on the quieter side, relatively speaking. More than 100,000 passengers are expected to pass through both days, but that’s before things spike again on Friday after Christmas.
MCO is expecting nearly 3.1 million people over both Christmas and New Year’s.