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AAA: More Ohio drivers hitting road for holidays

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CINCINNATI — Nearly 2 million people in the state of Ohio are expected to travel this week as part of this year’s Thanksgiving travel surge, with 90 percent traveling by car.

That’s the most Thanksgiving auto traffic the state has seen in nearly a decade, according to AAA spokeswoman Cheryl Parker.

Parker said this increase follows a national rise in holiday auto travel, which AAA estimates will see 46.9 million people travel more than 50 miles between Wednesday and Sunday.

FORECAST: Thanksgiving travel conditions for the Tri-State

But Parker said the increase in traffic also comes with some benefits: AAA has observed a decrease in travel costs — most notably at the gas pump — compared to recent years. In Cincinnati, the average price of gas on Monday was $1.79 per gallon, down 94 cents from one year ago, according to AAA’s fuel gauge report.

“With most travelers planning to hit the road for the holiday, gas prices under $2 are definitely something drivers can be thankful for,” Parker said in a statement released Monday.

Parker added that most of the local service calls taken by AAA over the weekend were due to dead batteries, and advised drivers to get a battery check-up before traveling this week.