ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – With a three-day weekend, that means more people will be on the road Monday. Labor Day is also a popular day for people to return home from a weekend getaway.
Drivers should expect some traffic on the freeways on Monday returning from their commutes. Interstates 581 and 81 usually tend to get backed up in the early afternoon.
A spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic explained that drivers should stay focused on the road while driving home.
“Food, coffee, drinks, even electronics on board can be distracting. As a driver, we encourage you to limit all of that,” Morgan Dean said. “Keep those eyes on the road. Taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds more than doubles the risk of a crash.”
Dean also explained that because gas prices have dropped in the past two months, more people went out of town over the weekend and will be back on Monday.
With more people on the highways on Monday, it’s important to be extra careful driving the speed limit.
Travel experts saw hundreds of airport delays and cancellations this weekend, and more are expected on Monday as people try to get home. If you have a flight disruption, experts explained that it’s best to try to get to the front of the line.
Roanoke Airport reports that their flights for Monday are nearly 95% booked. The busy travel weekend comes after months of increased leisure travel.
Airlines are returning to pre-pandemic passenger levels, but the number of flights has not increased due to staff shortages.
ROA’s marketing and communications manager explained that if your flight is delayed or cancelled, the best thing to do is to act quickly.
“Definitely download your carrier’s app and turn on push notifications, so if they need to contact you about a flight disruption, they’ll be able to,” said Brad Boettcher. “Call times tend to be quite long and ticket counter lines can be long if you have a hiccup during your journey.”
Another tip is to interact with the airlines on social media and let them know about the problem. Experts explained that it may be quicker to ask for help via Twitter or Facebook to try to get home.
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