More travelers than ever are expected to hit the roads during this holiday season that continues through Jan. 2.

According to the AAA Auto Club, nearly one in three Americans (more than 100 million) have already or will travel 50 miles or more during this period.

AAA said driving remains the most popular mode of travel for year-end holiday travel, with more than 90 percent of travelers driving to their holiday destinations.

Contributing to those increases, motorists will find low gas prices as they hit the roadways.

The bad news is that AAA expects to rescue hundreds of thousands of motorists during the holiday travel period, with the primary reasons being dead batteries, lockouts and flat tires.

AAA is recommending that motorists check the condition of their battery and tires for winter driving before heading out on a holiday getaway. Also, have vehicles inspected by a trusted repair shop.

Law-enforcement agencies and the department of transportation are also expressing concerns about impaired driving during the holiday travel season.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s Traffic Safety Culture Index, one in five licensed drivers (21%) who drink at least occasionally reported having driven when they thought their alcohol level might have been close to, or possibly over, the legal limit in the past year.

Remember buzzed driving is drunk driving.

Then, there is the danger of distracted driving.

Texting, emailing, taking and watching video and other forms of distracted driving are illegal in Georgia and present a real danger to drivers, passengers and everyone on the roadways. Distracted driving kills.

We hope our readers have a safe and enjoyable holiday season and do not allow it to be ruined by exercising bad judgment.