A lot of Americans will be on the roads and in the skies for the holiday weekend. If you're one of them, here are some tips to keep in mind to make sure your family stays safe through the trip.
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00:00 Well, summer, whether we like it or not, is winding down.
00:02 Many of us are heading out of town, though,
00:04 and we're here with some tips on how
00:06 to make your Labor Day weekend getaway
00:08 go as smoothly and safely as possible,
00:11 as Andrew Gross, AAA's national spokesperson.
00:14 So thanks again, Andrew, for joining us.
00:17 My pleasure.
00:18 Yeah, we always like talking to you, Andrew.
00:20 And we want to know, what should travelers
00:22 keep in mind this weekend, whether they're
00:24 driving or flying?
00:26 Whether you're driving or flying or going on a cruise
00:29 or going by rail or bus, you're going to have a lot of company.
00:32 We know from our booking data that domestic travel
00:35 is going to be up 4% this year over last year.
00:38 And international travel bookings
00:39 are up 44% over last year.
00:42 So clearly, people are sort of deciding
00:45 they're going to get away to kind of wrap up their summer.
00:48 And some, especially with kids, may be kind of distracted
00:51 and trying to cram it all in.
00:53 Here we have early days of school, the fall sports
00:56 schedule.
00:57 So a lot of people may have a lot on their minds.
00:59 So what do drivers often forget about when it comes
01:02 to staying safe on the road?
01:05 Well, it's easy to get distracted.
01:06 I mean, distraction is one of the most dangerous things
01:09 you can have when you're driving.
01:10 So it's just you really have to focus on the task of driving.
01:14 Let other things going on in the car, let that happen.
01:17 Don't let the driver get involved.
01:19 And if you feel like the driver is getting involved
01:22 every couple hours, like three to four hours,
01:24 pull off to the side of the road, take a break.
01:26 Maybe just rest stop, a little pit stop.
01:29 Let the road fog clear a little bit.
01:31 Let everybody stretch their legs.
01:32 Get the dog out.
01:33 Just take a little bit of a break.
01:35 It doesn't have to be very long, 10, 15 minutes.
01:38 Then hop back in the car, and everybody
01:39 is pretty much recharged, and you're good to go.
01:42 So a little reset there that certainly helps.
01:44 Now, for those flying, which airports
01:46 are going to be the busiest here this weekend?
01:49 Well, your major metropolitan airports are going to be busy.
01:52 So your Atlantas, your big hub airports
01:54 are going to be very busy.
01:55 And you also have to sort of pay attention
01:57 to where it is you're going.
01:59 So if you're flying down into the southeast,
02:01 double check that.
02:02 Because while airports are open, make sure your hotels
02:05 and everything's OK.
02:06 Because there could be some residual flooding or power
02:09 outages, things you want to check on first before you
02:11 head off to the airport.
02:13 Excellent advice, as always.
02:14 Andrew Bruce, national spokesperson for AAA.
02:17 Happy Labor Day weekend to you.
02:19 Thanks again, Andrew.
02:20 You too.