On the road this Thanksgiving? Please buckle up...and slow down

On the road this Thanksgiving? Please buckle up...and slow down

On the road this Thanksgiving? Please buckle up...and slow down

Fast Lane
U.S. Department of Transportation
November 20, 2012

According to AAA, more than 43.6 million Americans will travel 50 miles from home or farther during this Thanksgiving holiday weekend. About 90 percent of those travelers--39 million people--plan to travel by automobile.

And we at DOT encourage all of them to pay attention and drive with patience and care.

We also know that on Sunday, after a few days of relaxing with their families and friends, those tens of millions of people will be rushing home to prepare for another work week. In fact, the Sunday following Thanksgiving is often the single busiest day of the year on America's highways.

That's why DOT is once again recognizing Drive Safer Sunday by reminding all motorists to buckle up and slow down--particularly on this high volume day.

Drive Safer Sunday was started by Road Safe America, a highway safety adovcacy group founded by Susan and Steve Owings to honor their son Cullum, who was killed in a crash on the Sunday following Thanksgiving in 2002.

We spend Thanksgiving appreciating all we have to be grateful for; let's remember what is important and not sacrifice safety just because we're in a hurry to get home.

So happy Thanksgiving, everyone. And if you're traveling this week, I wish you and your family a very safe trip...and a safe return.