Shoppers Besiege Malls, Snarl Freeways : Holiday: Once the crush of last-minute buyers has dispersed, travelers should find fewer delays because a midweek Christmas means not as many people leave town.

At South Coast Plaza and MainPlace/Santa Ana, it was every man for himself Monday.

Frustrated drivers scrounging for parking spaces at both super-congested malls played chicken with pedestrians in the crosswalks, each side daring the other to proceed.

Meanwhile, the ensuing traffic jams spilled onto the surface streets and freeway interchanges, further snarling traffic at the height of the rush hour. Traffic was especially clogged on the San Diego Freeway near the Bristol Street overpass, where thousands of desperate last-minute shoppers inched their way toward South Coast Plaza.

“All of Southern California is here today,” Jan Roberts, a spokeswoman for South Coast Plaza, said. “We recommend that people not use Bristol Street but take alternate routes to our center, like Fairview Road, MacArthur Boulevard or Bear Street.”

Despite the crush of cars and trucks, Costa Mesa police reported just two fender-benders by late afternoon.

Meanwhile, at MainPlace/Santa Ana, officials were urging shoppers to park on the west side of the shopping center, away from the more popular Main Street entrance. “In the front of the mall, people are parking and waiting for a space, but on the west side there is plenty of parking,” general manager Tanya Thomas said.

Once inside the stores, many shoppers appeared more organized than last year, behavior that retailers have attributed largely to the recession.

“People are spending money differently--they’re buying more practical gifts,” Thomas said. “They’re more focused. When they go into a shop, they have a list with specific sizes, colors and brands.”

Still, despite the logjam at the malls, authorities predicted that holiday travelers would face lighter than normal traffic delays once they finally set off on their destinations.

Since Christmas falls midweek, many people who only have one vacation day probably will remain in the area, California Highway Patrol officials said.

“You’re not going to have a lot of getaway holiday traffic like you do when people either have Monday or Friday off,” said Lyle Whitten, a spokesman for the CHP office in San Juan Capistrano, which covers South Orange County.

“It’s only going to be a one-day holiday and a lot of government offices--county, state and city--just have Wednesday off.”

Even the Riverside Freeway which is usually a nightmare over a long holiday weekend, is expected to experience only moderate traffic, Whitten said.

Meanwhile, at John Wayne Airport, airline passengers can look forward to less congestion, thanks to the new terminal, airport officials said.

“The traffic is brisk, but it’s not too bad,” said Pat Ware, an airport spokeswoman. “I think we’re all just amazed at how smooth things have been with the design of this new terminal.”

Weather forecasters were calling for ideal flying conditions--partly cloudy skies today, becoming mostly clear on Christmas Day. The highs today were expected to range from the mid-60s to the lower 70s, gradually warming to the mid-70s, according to Steve Burback, a forecaster for WeatherData Inc., which prepares forecasts for The Times.

Still, airport officials urged motorists and travelers to arrive early for departing flights.

“If they have early morning flights, they should allow themselves some extra time to get their baggage checked,” Ware said. “There are so many people leaving at once, you need to give yourself more than an hour.”

The American Automobile Assn. estimates that 22 million across the country will travel 100 miles or more by automobile, truck or recreational vehicle over the next week.

In Southern California alone, an estimated 5 million people are expected to travel by air or car, according to Layna Browdy, a spokeswoman for the Southern California Automobile Assn.

“It’s difficult to project which days are going to be the worst,” Browdy said. “People’s plans seem to be spread out in various ways.”

However, officials said travelers should expect certain trouble spots at popular holiday destinations such as Santa Barbara, Big Bear and San Diego.

CHP officials urged motorists to make sure they get plenty of rest before they leave for their trips, depart in plenty of time, practice common courtesy and fasten their seat belts.

But most of all, said spokeswoman Alice Huffaker, do not drink and drive.

“We’d like people to make it into the New Year, and a lot of that depends on their own defensive driving,” Huffaker said.

Times staff writer Eric Young contributed to this report.