As Richmonders hit the road for the Thanksgiving holiday, Virginia police are pleading with motorists to keep vigilant. Last year during the Wednesday-Sunday span, 12 people died and 863 were injured in 1,407 accidents.

For the last two Wednesday-to-Sunday travel periods surrounding Thanksgiving, there were 31 fatalities on the road. Thirty-nine percent weren’t wearing seat belts.

Fewer people are expected to fly this holiday season, but travelers shouldn’t expect a full reprieve from the horrid flight delays of Thanksgivings past, especially if they need to land anywhere near New York City.

Thanksgiving travel is expected to rebound from the recession this holiday, AAA says. The number of Virginians traveling by car, bus, train or airplane during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend is expected to increase about 3 percent over last year, the AAA travel organization said yesterday. In the state, about 1.5 million Virginians will be traveling 50 miles or more away from home Wednesday through Nov. 29.

From kids activities and scavenger hunts to comedy shows and burlesque, there is something going on for all ages and tastes to ring in 2009 around Richmond.

Highways and travel terminals could see slightly fewer travelers during the Christmas holiday period, according to industry officials. This is the first expected decline since 2002.