Thanksgiving getaway nightmare as cars left stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic

America’s great Thanksgiving getaway is already underway and it began for some unlucky motorists with an enormous traffic jam.

ABC News‏ shared incredible aerial footage of “bumper-to-bumper traffic” in Los Angeles on the 405 motorway, one of the busiest and most congested routes in the United States.

More than 50 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more over the Thanksgiving holiday, which kicked off with Donald Trump pardoning a turkey.

“Thanksgiving kicks off the start of a busy holiday season, and more thankful Americans will travel to spend time with friends and family this year,” said Bill Sutherland, senior vice president of the AAA.

“A strong economy and labour market are generating rising incomes and higher consumer confidence, fuelling a strong year for the travel industry, which will continue into the holiday season.”

Thousands have shared ABC’s clip of the red and white traffic crawling slowly along the 405, two days before families sit down to celebrate the national holiday.

Traffic comes to a near standstill on the 405 in southern California each year in the days before Thanksgiving, prompting a strong reaction on social media.

“My worst day ever was on the 405 the night before Thanksgiving. Took me over three hours to get from Marina Del Rey to Sherman Oaks; 17 total miles,” commented one.

One local, who is familiar with the nightmarish traffic, posted: “Seriously. This is my life everyday here in LA.”

Another previously compared the footage to “red and white blood cells flowing through the major arteries of the city”, adding: “Pretty, wouldn't want to be in it.”

Thanksgiving travellers have been advised to avoid traffic hotspots and check for the worst times to hit the road before starting their journey.

“Thanksgiving has historically been one of the busiest holidays for road trips, and this year we could see record-level travel delays,” says Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX.

“Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic.”

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