With millions of Californians on the road again, law enforcement agencies across California are gearing up for New Year’s Eve.
California highways are likely to be busier than expected this year’s New Year’s Eve weekend as people try to avoid the chaos that has plagued airports.
Airlines were still reeling from thousands of delayed and canceled flights on Thursday as travelers try to get home from their Christmas destinations.
“So I’m going back to Chicago, where I’m actually from,” said Aidan Beals, who lives in Chicago and was visiting the Central Coast over Christmas. His vacation has turned out to be longer than expected, but he wants to be home in time for the New Year.
“It was pretty crazy.
The AAA said the ongoing flight issues mean that highways and highways could become even more congested in the coming days.
AAA spokesperson Doug Shoup said: “Now the number of people driving may increase due to the many flight troubles some people had during this holiday season. .
New Year’s travel can be even more complicated with heavy rain forecast, but according to AAA, the weather has less of an impact on vacation travel plans than you might think.
“Weather doesn’t usually change travel plans, but the Auto Club encourages people to prepare for wet roads,” Shupe said.
The California Highway Patrol is gearing up for its maximum enforcement period, which runs Friday night through Monday.
“That means we are already at 75% of our available units,” said spokesman Miguel Alvarez.
Officers are on high alert for people driving under the influence and for distracted and reckless driving.
“As for whether it’s going to get busier from now on, I’d say it’s pretty stable thanks to the rain, but I don’t think we’re expecting anything too crazy.”
For those who have to drive to their New Year’s destinations, AAA recommends leaving sooner or later, especially on Fridays.
“If you’re leaving on a Friday, the 3pm to 6pm commute should really avoid people coming home from work mingling with travelers going in and out of town,” says Shupe.
AAA recommends checking your windshield wipers, headlights and tires before heading out.
AAA expects 9.2 million people to travel more than 50 miles through Southern California.
However, these numbers are combined for Christmas and New Year.
