California Thanksgiving Travel: CHP Enforcement & AAA Roadside Assistance Tips

Thanksgiving Travel Forecast

• 🚗 AAA projects 6 million Southern Californians will travel 50 miles or more for Thanksgiving, the highest number ever recorded for the region.
• 📈 Nationwide, nearly 82 million people are expected to travel for the holiday, with Los Angeles being one of the top 3 most congested metros.
• 🚦 Major corridors like the I-5, I-10, I-91, and I-405 will experience extended periods of stop-and-go traffic.

Peak Travel Times & Congestion

• ⏰ The early afternoon window is when roads transition from steady flow to heavy delays as vacationers, delivery trucks, and last-minute shoppers hit the road.
• ⚠️ Traffic analysts identify the 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM window as the worst time to be on the road today, particularly on the I-5 through Commerce, the I-405 to West LA, and the I-91 through Anaheim.
• 🌙 For smoother travel today, it's recommended to leave after 8:00 PM, or on Friday through Sunday, depart before 10:00 AM or 11:00 AM, or again around 8:00 PM.

AAA Roadside Assistance & Vehicle Preparedness

• 🛠️ Last Thanksgiving, AAA responded to nearly 600,000 roadside calls nationwide, many in California, for issues like dead batteries, tire blowouts, and running out of gas.
• 💡 AAA advises drivers to check their cars before leaving and notes that preventative maintenance can significantly reduce the likelihood of breakdowns.
• ⛽ Gas prices are reported to be about the same as last year.

CHP Holiday Enforcement

• 🚨 The California Highway Patrol (CHP) will begin its Thanksgiving Holiday Enforcement Period on freeways across California.
• 👮 This enforcement period resulted in over 1,100 arrests last year.