By Gary Pitts
Murray, KY – The holidays are here, and what comes with that, among other things, is a lot of traffic. The American Automobile Association says the busiest travel day of the year is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. AAA spokesman Roger Boyd says gas prices this year, while higher than last year, may not be as bad as many might have projected. Boyd says this is in part due to an ailing European economy.
"I almost hate to say it, but as long as the European countries continue to go through some economic problems, that's going to help subdue gas prices because that limits the amount of oil that European countries need for American dollars to compete for."
Gas prices in Kentucky are averaging around $3.30 a gallon right now. But Boyd says you can expect to see a spike in prices, especially on busy travel days like Wednesday. Boyd also says there is generally quite a spike in the number of accidents during the holidays, but he says not all of them are due simply to the increased number of cars on the roads.
"A lot of those are alcohol related. A lot of those are fatigue and drowsy related because people push themselves during the holidays. And that's very unfortunate because those types of collisions, those are avoidable. People simply need to a' get enough rest and b' never drink and drive."