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Thanksgiving traffic: Aerial footage shows Los Angeles gridlock as 54 million Americans make getaways

Aerial images have shown masses of bumper-to-bumper traffic as millions of Americans make their Thanksgiving getaways.

About 54 million people were reported to be travelling at least 50 miles for the holiday on Thursday, with 49 million making their journey in cars.

Officials said it was the highest number of Thanksgiving travellers since 2005, and a 4.8 per cent increase from last year.

Hundreds of thousands of cars were seen travelling through Los Angeles – a city notorious for traffic congestion – in aerial pictures from broadcaster KTLA.

Traffic was also heavy in New York and Maryland on Tuesday night as people tried to get a head start with their Thanksgiving travel.

Heavy jams were expected in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago on Wednesday.

Bill Sutherland, a senior vice-president at AAA travel, said the high number of travellers could be linked to families enjoying a prosperous year.

He said: “Consumers have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season: higher wages, more disposable income and rising levels of household wealth.

There was also traffic gridlock in Chicago on Tuesday (Kamil Krzaczynski/Reuters)
There was also traffic gridlock in Chicago on Tuesday (Kamil Krzaczynski/Reuters)

“This is translating into more travellers kicking off the holiday season with a Thanksgiving getaway.”

Heavy traffic moves along the Brooklyn/Queens Expressway in New York on Tuesday (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Heavy traffic moves along the Brooklyn/Queens Expressway in New York on Tuesday (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, president Donald Trump has used the power of his office to keep a pair of turkeys off the holiday table.

Peas the turkey is pardoned by the US president (Leah Millis/Reuters)
Peas the turkey is pardoned by the US president (Leah Millis/Reuters)

Mr Trump's poultry pardon, an annual Thanksgiving tradition, means the two turkeys - named Peas and Carrots - will get to live the rest of their lives at a Virginia farm.

First lady Melania Trump joined her husband for the act of mercy carried out during a light-hearted ceremony in the White House Rose Garden.

President George H.W. Bush established the annual turkey pardon in 1989 by sparing a 50-pound bird.