BATON ROUGE- If you're planning to hit the road for the holidays, local experts suggest getting your car serviced before heading out of town.

"Very important...get it checked, get it checked," says Neil Bergeron, owner of Neil's Automotive in Baton Rouge.

Neil's Automotive has seen a spike in cars and trucks needing minor repairs ahead of the holidays.

"We've done a bunch of oil changes, a few tune-ups, but mainly cooling systems... And radiators," Bergeron said.

The roads are expected to be heavy, about 51 million people are expected to travel 50 miles are more for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Mechanics encouraged drivers to get their brakes, belts, fluids, and cooling systems checked before hitting the road, they believe it's better to be safe than sorry.