Really, how many people will carefully read the holiday notice from the State Council?
If you just see "three days off on New Year's Day", the four words "high speed and free" will automatically pop up in your mind.
Then I happily planned my long trip, until I stepped on the highway, I heard the ETC beep and the fee had been deducted, and I suddenly came to my senses.
### It turns out that not all festivals are free.
I am also the person who used to think that "statutory holidays = free highways".
It wasn't until New Year's Day of a certain year when I was blocked at the toll station and saw that the railing of the vehicle in front of me didn't move at all, that I realized that I had misremembered the time limit.
Looking in the rearview mirror, the driver of the car behind was also scratching his head. We looked at each other through the glass car window and smiled bitterly.
### It’s New Year’s Day, why don’t you deserve a name?
To be honest, it was quite unpleasant at first.
The Spring Festival and National Day are free, and the May Day and Qingming Festival are also free. Why is New Year’s Day excluded?
After checking, I found out that the free policy is used to alleviate the "large-scale, cross-provincial, centralized" return home trend.
Hundreds of millions of people go home during the Spring Festival, which is a necessity. Seven days of fun during the National Day, which is the peak time for long-distance travel.
And what about New Year’s Day? Three days of vacation, scratching the surface is actually just one day.
Most people just wander around, or simply stay at home to catch up on their sleep.
### The difference between 1.2 million and hundreds of millions
This data shows that during the New Year's Day period, the average daily vehicle traffic on the highway is actually far less than that of several major festivals that implement toll-free policies.
It's probably about 1.2 million to 1.26 million vehicle trips.
It sounds like a lot, but compared with the large-scale migration of hundreds of millions of people during the Spring Festival, it does seem insignificant.
Therefore, the superior slammed the table and said: Forget it, with this amount of traffic, even if the toll station is completely opened to allow vehicles to pass, there will be no congestion, so it is not free.
The money saved can be used to subsidize the really big problems.
### If you think about it from another angle, it’s not free, which is fine.
Have you ever noticed that when it’s free, the highway becomes the largest “parking lot”?
During National Day last year, my friend drove for six hours without leaving the province, so he was walking his dog in the emergency lane.
Being free attracts not only vehicles, but also all kinds of novices who drive at extremely slow speeds, as well as large trucks that choose to take long-distance routes to save costs.
That kind of blockage is a feeling of tiredness.
However, it is not free on New Year's Day. In fact, it automatically filters out some traffic with non-rigid needs.
There are two situations where you can stay and take the expressway. One is when you really have something to do, and the other is when you really want to go out for fun and don't care about the toll.
There are fewer cars on the road, which makes driving easier.
### There is no less homework to be done
Of course, the places that should be blocked will still be blocked.
From 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. on the first day of the holiday, everything in the direction of the city will be red.
On the afternoon of January 3, there is a peak return journey, especially between 14:00 and 18:00. The congestion at the highway entrance will be so serious that it will make you doubt your life and feel unbelievable.
I became clever and either started the journey in the dark at 6 a.m. before dawn, or started the journey at 1 p.m. to avoid that annoying peak.
Be sure to check the navigation software and don't take the ray highways that pass through the city, such as the G42 Hurong and G60 Shanghai-Kunming, which are parking lots during holidays.
It would be faster to take a longer detour and take the provincial road.
### If the car is stuck, it is worse than being stuck in a traffic jam.
When you go out in winter, the condition of your car is a big problem.
Tires, in particular, tend to harden when the weather is cold, and tire pressure also needs to be adjusted. The spare tire must be checked. The last time my friend suffered a puncture, he discovered that the spare tire was also flat. That situation was really desperate.
Replace antifreeze and glass water with low-temperature resistant ones, and wear anti-skid chains in the north.
One day, I witnessed with my own eyes the water tank of a car on the highway boiling, white smoke billowing out, and the owner of the car standing beside the guardrail with a look of confusion on his face.
I don't want to experience that kind of helplessness.
### In fact, dozens of dollars buy freedom.
Let’s do the math, it’s about 200 kilometers, and the toll is only about 100 yuan.
Compared with the time spent stuck on the road, compared with the embarrassment of the whole family when they are crowded on the train with large and small bags, in this case, the money is well spent.
Moreover, the car is heated and has your favorite songs. If your children are sleepy, they can sleep without having to check the timetable.
This kind of freedom cannot be given by public transportation.
### Write at the end
It’s 2026, don’t worry about those tens of dollars anymore.
The real meaning of vacation is that you finally have time to take your family and go where you want to go.
Even if you just go to the suburbs to watch the sunset, or even if you just go to the neighboring city to eat a bowl of authentic snacks.
That toll fee is like buying a ticket for this rare free time.
Driving slowly on the road and arriving safely is better than anything else.
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