Take an area where I-40 funnels to two lanes, and splits off to the Durham Freeway, and the backup can seem worse.
I-40 from the Durham Freeway to Highway 55 has one of the highest accident rates in the Triangle.
Most are minor accidents that become major traffic jams.
"But it only takes one of those minor ones, and then that car knocks the first car into two or three more cars, and you have a four-car wreck. Then we have the people who want to turn their head and look and that just creates a bigger delay," says Sgt. Charles Lee of the N.C. Highway Patrol.
Troopers say if travelers leave earlier and search out alternate routes, it could ease the pain of accidents and the backups they create.
With jams like this happening before Thanksgiving, many say the next several days may be no holiday on the road.
The Wednesday before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving are usually the two most dangerous driving days of the year.
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