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Thanksgiving Safety Tips to Share with Your Community: Part Two

Last week we shared important safety tips for residents hosting Thanksgiving at their house. Today we’re going to focus on important tips to share with residents who will be traveling Thanksgiving weekend, which goes from Wednesday, November 27 to Sunday, December 1. AAA projects 54.3 million Americans travel 50 miles or more from their home during Thanksgiving, the vast majority of which travel by car. Share the following safety tips to ensure traveling residents enjoy a happy and safe Thanksgiving this year.

Allow for extra time on the roads

Roads are notoriously congested Thanksgiving weekend, with the biggest delays occurring during the evening commute, Wednesday, and Sunday. Large cities like San Francisco, New York, and Boston experience some of the largest delays with nearly quadruple normal drive times. This time of year, road conditions can also pose an issue with snow, ice, and poor visibility. That’s why it’s recommended that you give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination and consider using navigation apps to help you choose the best route. Consider traveling on less crowded days, such as Tuesday, Thanksgiving Day, and Saturday. If time allows, watch the weather reports and select the best day to travel based on road conditions.

Beware of drunk drivers

Thanksgiving weekend is the deadliest holiday on U.S. roads. From 2012 to 2016, more than 800 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes from 6 PM Wednesday to 6 AM Monday. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving has become a big night for bars, as many offer specials to get patrons in the doors. With the high rate of drunk drivers, keep your family and loved ones safe by avoiding the roads the night before Thanksgiving, as well as Thanksgiving night, if possible. And remember, it’s always cheaper to get a hotel, cab, or Uber than getting a DUI and putting innocent people at risk.

Keep your home safe

When traveling this holiday season, it’s important to take the following steps to keep your home safe. First, keep your plans off social media. 80% of ex-burglars used Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare to identify unoccupied properties. Double check that all doors and windows are locked. Be sure to have a neighbor gather your mail and newspaper while your away, and ensure you have someone lined up to shovel your sidewalk if it happens to snow. Temperatures can get awfully cold that weekend, so ensure your heat is set at a temperature that’s efficient and won’t cause pipes to freeze.

Speaking of safety, have you walked through your community to identify various safety risks? Download our community security checklist to help you identify potential risks!

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