Vacation journey ideas you could know from the ALDOT

Are you going to travel during the holiday season? Not sure which route to take or what the roads will be like? Just want to see if it’s worth going to the traffic for last minute gifts?

The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), along with partner Drive Safe Alabama, has shared this list of helpful resources and advice for any vacation trip you need to take.

Plan traffic

AAA estimates 100 million people will be on vacation this year. That would be a 28% increase over last year’s travel and is approaching a “record volume” after the decline in travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For this reason, ALDOT recommends that Alabama drivers “plan ahead, allow extra time to get to your destination, and drive attentively without distractions.”

Motorists can use the ALGO Traffic app on your phone to see the traffic and road conditions in Alabama at all times.

Expect fewer road closures

ALDOT announced that they also plan to limit road works and lane closures during the holiday travel season to ensure the safety of the workers involved.

The agency will also suspend temporary lane closures from December 24 at 6 a.m. to December 26 at 11:59 p.m. and from December 31 at 6 a.m. to January 2 at 11:59 p.m.

Seat belts and sobriety

ALDOT also emphasized general driving tips. The most important piece of advice: make sure you are buckled up in the vehicle.

“Give your passengers and other road users a gift of safe driving this Christmas season,” says Allison Green, Drive Safe Alabama Coordinator at ALDOT. “Safe driving begins with everyone being buckled up in your vehicle.”

In 2020, 60% of those killed in car accidents were unbuckled at the time of the accident, she said. According to ALDOT, staying buckled up is the “easiest and most effective way to reduce injuries and save lives in the event of an accident”.

And another reminder from ALDOT: stay sober when you’re behind the wheel. “Alcohol affects thinking, thinking and muscle coordination,” reports the agency.

To learn more about the ALDOT and its mission to keep drivers safe, visit the agency’s website at www.dot.state.al.us.