Thanksgiving holiday travel volume in South Carolina is expected to increase 1% this year, due in part to the dramatic drop in gas prices, according to AAA Carolinas.

A total of 617,110 South Carolinians are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home. About 555,400 or 90% of those will drive, an increase of about 5,400 travelers over last year.

Thanksgiving is one of the most dangerous annual holidays due to its four-day length and the congestion caused by the high number of highway vacationers.

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) is reminding parents and caregivers just how important it is to have their children restrained in properly installed child passenger safety seats through a series of billboards that have been placed around the state. Last year, nine children under the age of six were killed and another 9,300 injured in motor vehicle collisions in South Carolina. 

“Nationally, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 12 years old,” said SCDPS Director Leroy Smith.