The Automobile Club of Southern California (AAA) projects a record number of drivers traveling on the road for the Thanksgiving holiday.
According to the Automobile Club of Southern California, an estimated 6.58 million people from Southern California will be traveling by car, air, and other forms of transportation.
However, the primary method of transportation for travel will be on the road.
“In Southern California, we are seeing 5.72 million people are going to be driving all throughout the state through to Vegas, through the Grand Canyon,” said Gianella Ghiglino, AAA spokesperson.
AAA says the number of travelers is a nearly 3% increase over last year’s record.
The Central Coast will be one of the top destinations in California this week.
“They tend to be very favorite vacation spots because of the weather, you know, and also, I mean, they're beautiful cities, so a lot of people like to go up there,” Ghiglino said.
On Wednesday, travelers in San Luis Obispo said they had already encountered some traffic but travel was mostly smooth.
“On the way down it wasn't too bad,” said Jeff Reed, a visitor from Sacramento. “We got down here, I think, on Saturday. So today, hopefully, we'll hit it early enough to not be a problem.”
As of Wednesday, the average price for a gallon of gas in San Luis Obispo County is $4.73, according to AAA.
This time last year, it was more than $5 a gallon, but some drivers say gas prices are still expensive.
“It looks like here a little bit higher today than when I came down,” Reed said.
“I feel like these days gas is always pricier,” said Gordon Dailey, UCSB student.
AAA is expecting to respond to more than 140,000 roadside service calls in Southern California.
“People are going to be not doing their due diligence, unfortunately, like checking their car maintenance, checking their tires and batteries,” Ghiglino said. “That's actually one of the biggest reasons why people get stranded on the side of the road.”
