Holiday driving: Expert shares safety tip as many Arizonans get ready to hit the roads

PHOENIX - For this holiday season, officials with AAA are expecting 2.2 million drivers in Arizona to hit the road, which is close to the record that was set in 2019.

"I'm going to be headed over to San Diego. I also have another road trip over to Payson, so doing a lot of family trips this year," said driver Abigail Ouellette.

Before the trip, however, Ouellette took her car in for a tire check.

"I had a nail in my tire, so I had to get all four tires replaced," said Ouellette. "I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially with all the travel I have coming up."

"This time of year, we get a lot of holiday travel," said Preston Stillman, a Store Manager with Discount Tire. "We look for things that can cause issues with low tread. We want to know where they're going, so we can help with data, so they can make a decision."

Stillman said their goal is to let customers know about the health of their tires.

"We start having a conversation when we reach 5/32 of it. You don't want to take it below 2/30 of an inch," said Stillman.

Stillman offered some tips for drivers who are getting ready for the holiday trip. An easier tip is the so-called ‘penny trick': If one can see Lincoln's head when the coin is placed in the groove of a tire's tread, it is time for new tires.

Along with free tire inspections and air in tires, they also take a look at wiper blades.

We are told a lot of drivers will come in the morning before work or after work, so the best time to get maintenance done is in between those hours, so that a shorter wait is possible.