The holiday travel season is approaching with record-breaking numbers expected, and automotive experts are urging drivers to spend just 20 minutes on basic car maintenance to avoid becoming stranded on busy roadways.AAA projects 122.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home over the 13-day year-end holiday period beginning Dec. 20 and ending Jan. 1. This year's projection represents a 2.2% increase over 2024, surpassing last year's record of 119.7 million travelers.WATCH: AAA forecasting record-breaking holiday travel, what you can do to prepare before heading out the door AAA forecasting record-breaking holiday travel, what you can do to prepare before heading out the doorAnd a large chunk of those travelers will be hitting the roads, with a projected 109.5 million Americans traveling by car for their year-end trips, an increase of 2% compared to last year.Driving remains the most popular mode of transportation, with 89% of holiday travelers planning road trips, largely due to convenience and lower costs.And with the popularity comes more roadside service calls, marking the importance of vehicle preparation. AAA responded to more than 860,000 emergency roadside service calls during last year's holiday period."Air pressures, fluids, oil, batteries, mainly," said Chris Wallin from Brazzeal Automotive when asked about the most important pre-travel checks.The simple inspection process typically takes about 20 to 30 minutes and can prevent the most common roadside emergencies during holiday travel.While many maintenance tasks can be done at home, battery testing requires specialized equipment that most drivers don't own."You're gonna need some kind of tool, a battery tester, to go ahead and look at it and see what's going on," Wallin said.Checking oil levels and tire pressure is straightforward and requires no special tools. But it can save hours of delays for travelers.As the holiday approaches, Brazzeal Automative says their schedule books up pretty fast."Everybody's going out of town. Kids are back in town. The sooner you get here, the better," Wallin said. ...read more read less