AAA: One-third of Americans plan to travel for the holidays

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Whether you are traveling by air or car, millions will be traveling for the holidays this year.

No one wants to spend the holiday on the side of the road, so if you’re traveling by car this holiday season there’s some things you should check before hitting the road.

Midas says it’s crucial to check three things before heading out on your road trip: Fluids, tires, and brakes.

Midas considers these the “three big beasts” of holiday travel.

Store Manager Justin Ventura says an extra check can save you from potentially dangerous situations

“Because if you’re gonna be out on the road, you wanna make sure you have enough tred on those tires. You want to make sure there’s no nails in those tires,” Ventura said.

“You want to make sure all your fluids are clean, full and doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing. The last thing you want to be doing is be stuck on the side of the road with an overheating issue. Also, check your brakes. Obviously, you want to be able to stop, and in the wintertime, that can get a little bit rough.”

Midas also says to regularly check your car’s oil change sticker or service table to see when you’re due for a maintenance check.

AAA estimates 112 million Americans will travel this holiday season.

That number represents a 4.4 percent increase from last year and 102 million of those traveling will be going by car, that’s more drivers than any holiday season before.

WWAY spoke to those drivers heading out to I-40 and while some plan to stay close to home, others are making quite the trek to see their loved ones.

“Actually spend some time with my dad he’s 83 years old. and then I’m gonna head to Pennsylvania to spend some time with my siblings,” Donna Johnson, traveling for the holidays, said. “We might go Washington and see the monument and stuff like that, make the most of it.”

AAA says travel times in the most congested u.s. cities could be as much as four times longer than a normal trip.