Vehicle Travel on Thanksgiving Only Off 5 Percent From Last Year, Study Finds

American drivers barely changed their travel plans for Thanksgiving this year, despite it taking place during one of the worst stages of the coronavirus pandemic so far, according to a new study. The Associated Press reports that vehicle travel surged around the holiday and peaked on Thanksgiving Day, when it was only about 5 percent less than the year before—despite widespread pleas from public-health authorities for people to stay at home. “People were less willing to change their behavior than any other day during the pandemic,” said Laura Schewel, founder of StreetLight Data, which analyzed data from roadways and airports to come to its conclusion. Air travel was much lower than last year, according to the study, but airports still screened more than one million passengers on four separate days during the Thanksgiving period.