Holiday travel in full force ahead of Thanksgiving

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - The Iowa State Patrol said the Thanksgiving holiday traffic was out in full force ahead of the holiday.

That was why they wanted to remind people to be aware of others on the road. According to AAA, around 55 million people would be traveling more than 50 miles away from their homes to visit friends, family, and loved ones. That includes Sally Sehnepel of Chesapeake, Virginia.

“We’re visiting my family in Wisconsin and then heading to Treynor, Iowa,” she said. “It’s about a 22-hour drive.”

That drive can be a little much for some people to handle, like her grandkids.

“It’s a bit boring,” he said.

While Sally makes sure her grandkids have their electronics for entertainment, Iowa State Trooper Bob Conrad wants people to focus on the cars around them.

“Just drive the way you want people to drive around you,” said Trooper Conrad. “If you’re out there doing the right thing, not pushing, following too closely, and putting away the distractions to focus on the road, that’s the biggest thing.”

Conrad said more people were out the day before the holiday to get where they were planning to celebrate. In doing so, he wanted people to remember to slow down on the roads, put their phones down, and focus on the task at hand.

“We want you to get where you need to be,” said Conrad. “We don’t want to be out here issuing tickets either. We want to be out here keeping you safe.”

So, people could safely make it to see family, friends, and loved ones.

“I’m thankful for my family that we’re healthy,” said Sally.

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