Keeping an eye on traffic during the holiday season

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - More than 119 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more this holiday season according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), which is over three million more compared to last year. With Christmas almost upon us, OzarksFirst spoke with travelers about roadway traffic.

Brandon Berry is traveling with his family from Texas to Indiana, and he says drivers in Missouri are different.

"People are much more patient and understanding. Like I've had to pull over a couple of times, turn on my hazards and people a half mile back merge over to get to make sure they're not in my way," says Berry.

AAA says over two million Missourians are expected to travel this holiday season, with 90% traveling by car.

Shelley West and her family are from the Springfield area. They plan on driving to Tulsa and back on Christmas Eve.

"Hopefully if we run into any traffic, we will have enough gas and have enough things to do in the car to where we don't get stir crazy and just make it there and then enough time to celebrate and have dinner and gifts," says West.

Missouri State Highway Patrol tells OzarksFirst it's not expecting a major influx in traffic on the roadways through the holidays. This is because Christmas and New Year's fall in the middle of the week, creating an extended travel period.

While AAA does expect this to be a record-breaking travel year across the country, the 107 million people expected to make their trip by car is just shy of 2019's record of 108 million.