Halloween traffic a little less nightmarish

Trick-or-treat traffic arrived early Tuesday in Cobb County.

Trick-or-treat traffic arrived early Tuesday in Cobb County.

The expected Halloween afternoon traffic crunch in metro Atlanta has become a little less nightmarish.

By mid-afternoon, Halloween rush hour had commuters at a stand still, but its early peak led likely gave some trick-or-treaters a head start.

Despite a few hot spots, it “seems like (the) load is lightening a tad on some freeways compared to last hour, but still delays all over town,” Doug Turnbull, traffic reporter for News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB, tweeted just before 5:30 p.m.

Earlier, he said, “Barring any major wrecks or closures, we think the event will largely be over by 6 p.m.”

Neighborhood side roads, he said, will be the real hot spots because of trick-or-treaters. So don’t rely on technology to navigate the gridlock.

“GPS (devices) often send drivers through neighborhoods, and can take their attention off the roads,” Turnbull said.

GDOT sounded an alert about potential congestion on its social media channels.

“(Rush hour) starts earlier and is intense,” Georgia DOT spokeswoman Natalie Dale said. “It also can last longer in some areas. There is obviously increased pedestrian activity, making roads dangerous if drivers are distracted or impaired.”

On Twitter, the Georgia Department of Public Safety offered the following tips:

  • Plan ahead.
  • Drive slowly and carefully to avoid children.
  • Turn on your headlights to make yourself more visible.
  • Broaden your scanning by looking for children left and right.

» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.

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