With Memorial Day Weekend just around the corner, the summer travel season has begun – and things are starting to get busy on the roads and in the air.
The TSA set a single-day record to kick off the holiday weekend, screening more than 2.95 million people at airports nationwide on Friday. This broke a record set last year on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
AAA estimates that more than 43 million people will hit the road this holiday weekend and drive at least 50 miles to their destination, an increase of about 4% over last year.
The California Highway Patrol remains in a maximum enforcement period through Monday, cracking down on reckless driving, drunk driving, speeding and more.
“Loss of life on our roadways is preventable if drivers make safe and responsible choices behind the wheel,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “Always remember to drive sober, avoid distractions, obey the speed limit and ensure adults wear seat belts and children are properly secured in an appropriate car seat.”
Last year, 46 people were killed in accidents across California over the holiday weekend. The CHP arrested more than 1,100 people for drunk driving over the course of the weekend.
US airlines are anticipating a potentially record-breaking summer travel season. Experts estimate that U.S. airlines will carry approximately 271 million passengers between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, which would be an increase of more than 6% over the previous year.
