Ask 2: Your Labor Day travel questions answered

HOUSTON – Tons of folks will flock to the wide-open road for their Labor Day holiday weekend, and that road trip starts as early as Wednesday for some.

According to AAA Texas, more than half of Texans are expected to take a road trip this holiday and they are estimating to rescue more than 17,000 of those drivers this Labor Day Weekend. To avoid a breakdown on a road trip, AAA Texas recommends drivers inspect tires, batteries, belts, hoses and fluid levels, or have vehicles inspected by a trusted mechanic.

If you’re planning to hit the road, here are few tips to keep in mind to help you get to your destination safely and in a timely manner:

Houston

• Busiest highways: I-69 North, I-610 to I-10
• Worst day: Friday
• Worst time: 3:30-5:30 p.m.

Also worth mentioning, the Nation Highway Safety Administration says Labor Day Weekend is one of the deadliest holidays. The number of traffic deaths during this weekend goes up and close to 40% of those crashes on Labor Day weekend involve drunk driving.

Keeping this in mind, here’s the most dangerous time to hit the road:

• Saturday is the single deadliest day during the Labor Day holiday period, but the worst six-hour stretch was 6 p.m. to midnight.
• The deadliest single hour was 9 p.m. Friday

Now is the time to plan your sober ride home. It’s all about celebrating responsibly and if you’re planning a road trip, stay alert and avoid distractions.