State urges motorists to plan travel routes over holidays

COLUMBUS, Ohio – State transportation officials are urging Ohio motorists to plan their travel routes and allow extra time to reach destinations this holiday season.

Ohio’s Department of Transportation says AAA is forecasting a record-4.6 million Ohioans will travel more than 50 miles from home over the holiday period. And they say more than 90 per cent of those will travel by vehicle.

ODOT count stations show the last time Christmas was on a Tuesday was in 2012 when there was a 37 per cent increase in traffic volume on Ohio roads.

The agency cautions drivers to be extra alert when driving through work zones.

More than 130 digital highway message boards will remind drivers to follow safety rules such as obeying the speed limit and never driving impaired.