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Record Number Of Oklahomans Travel During Holiday Period

Traffic moves along I-44 just west of a syrup spill that shut down one lane of the highway Wednesday morning.
Oklahoma Dept. of Transportation

Nearly one million Oklahomans are expected to travel more than 50 miles this holiday period, according to AAA Oklahoma, and that means a record-breaking number of drivers are taking advantage of year-end travel opportunities.

AAA Oklahoma spokesman Chuck Mai says more than 900,000 Oklahomans plan to get out of town, a nearly 1.5 percent increase from the same time last year.

“We're using words like historic, monumental, and it certainly will be a record breaker. We're looking for over 900,000 Oklahomans to be flying or driving over the holiday period.” Mai said.

He says the uptick is due to good weather, a rebounding economy and low gas prices that aren’t expected to increase any time soon.

“We think, here at AAA, that prices will continue to drift lower at the pump, as low as crude oil stays down because we're so over-supplied by product and demand is down.”

While most travelers will be driving, Mai says there will be significantly more airport traffic as well.

AAA’s Tipsy Tow continues through 4 a.m. on January 2. The auto club’s community service program gives up to two people and a car a ride home within a 15-mile radius from the point of pickup. The service is free, and it is available to both AAA members and non-members alike.

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