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Practice safety and patience

The combination of nice weather, low gas prices and the Thanksgiving holiday should be enough to tell you this: Be cautious on the roadways.

The Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as today, November 25, through Sunday, November 29.

It’s been estimated by AAA that 46.9 million Americans – the most since 2007 – will travel 50 or more miles during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. And most of that traffic (nearly 42 million) will be done via our nation’s roadways.

We urge those who will be traveling to practice patience, as you should daily, but especially at this time of year. This is a holiday to spend with family and friends, so why not take that extra effort to ensure you and those around you will make it safely.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol also reminds motorists to “buckle up” – a simple task that can save lives.

Last year during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, 23 people were killed in 20 fatal crashes on Ohio’s roadways – 7 of those deaths as a result of an impaired driver.

Wearing a safety belt is “the most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash,” the OSHP states.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that more than 13,000 lives each year are saved because people are wearing safety belts.

Troopers will be out in full force this weekend in an attempt to remove impaired drivers from our roadways.

“Encourage each other to buckle up, drive sober and obey traffic laws,” says Colonel Paul A. Pride, Patrol superintendent

We couldn’t agree more.

Practicing both patience and safety will aid you during your travels, both daily and this holiday season.

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