Gridlock to Gravy: How Americans Trounce Turkey Day Traffic

WAYNE, NJ -- November 5, 2015: Whether it's the feast itself, the backyard football game, or reuniting with family and friends, Americans can't help but get excited about Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, for many, Thanksgiving also brings the stress of holiday traffic, and Hankook Tire was curious about American drivers' sentiments towards one of the biggest travel weeks of the year, in its latest Gauge Index.

In their latest survey, Hankook Tire found that sixty-seven percent (67%) of Americans who travel for Thanksgiving will drive at least 250 miles – an ample amount of time on the road, and therefore a lot of potential for holiday traffic jams.

Looking for ways to avoid Thanksgiving holiday traffic? The Hankook Gauge Index found that thirty percent (30%) of Americans believe that the day before Thanksgiving is usually the best time to leave for your holiday destination. If you plan to drive on Thanksgiving Day, sixty-six percent (66%) of drivers plan to leave their house between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. to dodge that aggravating traffic.

If problems should arise and there is the unfortunate chance that beating the rush is futile, most Americans believe that when that traffic hits, it hits hard. According to the Hankook Gauge Index, fifty-nine (59%) percent of drivers say that Thanksgiving traffic typically delays their arrival by at least 30 minutes. Additionally, twenty-eight percent (28%) of drivers note that holiday traffic tends to delay them by an hour or more.

"Thanksgiving is usually one of the busiest travel times of the year, and we wanted to gauge how Americans approach the holiday roads," said Henry Kopacz, Public Relations and Social Media Manager, Hankook Tire America Corp. "Our Quarterly Gauge Index this season revealed some valuable results on driving behaviors, particularly when it comes to traffic jams, and proves to be a great tool for gathering consumer insights – not to mention planning your holiday travel."

Additional findings from the survey include:

• 69% of Americans believe having to go the bathroom is the worst thing that could happen during a traffic jam, while 24% believe that being late for work or an event is
• 45% of Americans say their initial reaction to a traffic jam is to simply "take it in stride"
• 44% of Americans say you should wait no more than 5 – 10 minutes before notifying someone of your tardiness

The Hankook Tire Gauge Index is a quarterly survey of Americans that uncovers their attitudes and opinions about all things related to driving. The fall installment of the survey, conducted August 25-26, 2015 polled 1,000 randomly selected Americans on fall driving and what is on their minds as the season approaches.