Thanksgiving is one of the nation’s busiest travel times. Drivers are encouraged to plan their trips with safety foremost in mind by planning ahead and taking a few simple steps.

• Be sure the vehicle is in good condition.

• Have the vehicle serviced before the trip. Especially check the tires, brakes, windshield wipers, headlights, tail-lights belts and hoses.

• Be sure the driver is alert at all times. Drivers should be well rested before departing.

• Take frequent breaks and switch drivers every few hours.

• Avoid distractions behind the wheel. Not paying attention to the road is one of the leading causes of motor vehicle crashes. Research shows that cell phone users are about as likely to crash as drunk drivers.

• To make your vehicle more visible, drive with the headlights on, both day and night. Research shows that daytime headlight use decreases crashes.

• Holiday traffic often includes big, slow recreational vehicles. Be on the lookout for them, especially on hills and curves.

• Impatience can kill. Observe the speed limit. Don’t pass in no-pass zones. Don’t rush through yellow lights to beat the red light.

• Designated drivers save lives. Do not drink and drive.

• Insist that everyone in the vehicle wears safety belts or uses a child safety seat whenever the vehicle is moving, no matter how short the trip.

This article was submitted by American Medical Response Inc. (www.amr.net), America’s leading provider of medical transportation, which provides services in 38 states and the District of Columbia. AMR’s 18,500 paramedics, EMTs and other professionals transport more than four million patients nationwide each year in critical, emergency and non-emergency situations. Operating a fleet of approximately 4,500 vehicles, AMR, is a subsidiary of Emergency Medical Services Corporation, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colo.