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More Americans Driving Further Over Holidays

According to the Allstate Good Hands Roadside Assistance Survey, 45 percent of American drivers plan on going on a drive at least two hours long this holiday season. Separate research by AAA suggests this Thanksgiving will see 42.5 million Americans travel at least 50 miles from home, 4 percent more than last year.

According to AAA, this is the first significant increase in holiday travel this year, occurring largely because Americans who have been skipping travel now feel the desire to see their families more strongly than they feel economic worries. Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day all saw reduced or stable traffic this year, according to AAA, but pent-up demand is beginning to take effect as the end of 2011 approaches.

Preparations for Distance Driving

Despite the significant length of travel distance and the likelihood of cold weather, many drivers may not be prepared to encounter problems while travelling. The Allstate survey found 95 percent of drivers have a spare tire and 93 percent have a jack and tire iron, but many did not go beyond these basic preparations.

More than two-thirds of the survey’s respondents indicated they keep a flashlight, jumper cables and a cell phone charger, and about 60 percent carried an automotive toolkit. Most, however, did not keep items such as warm blankets, water, food and emergency flares, indicating they expect to find help before such items become necessary.

Roadside Assistance and Alternatives

Most American drivers indicated they would not call roadside assistance in the event of a car problem close to home, instead turning to friends and family, fixing the problem themselves, asking a passing motorist to help or contacting police or other emergency services.

Many more were inclined to turn to roadside assistance when further away from home, and 61 percent were subscribed to such a service. Whether through an auto insurance provider or other organization, this was more common among households with higher incomes and newer cars.

Probability of Problems

The survey found 84 percent of drivers did not believe it was likely they would suffer a mechanical breakdown or other difficulty that would prevent them from driving their car. The belief was almost as common among those who have experienced such a problem in the past, but may not accurately reflect the truth.

According to researchers, 79 percent of Americans have suffered a flat tire, almost as many have had a dead car battery and more than two-thirds have been in an accident or found their car would not start. Many have lost keys, run out of gas or had some other problem that could not be solved without help. Drivers may wish to reconsider the odds and prepare themselves and their cars before going on long holiday trips.