To borrow some good advice from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety: "Buckle up before and after you gobble up" this busy holiday weekend.
With airports posing their own liqui-gel challenges, the seeming safety of the open road easily could result in tryptophan-like indifference when it comes to basic safety. But taking care and staying alert, even when traveling by car, should be as prominent as tomorrow's turkey while motoring through the Northland's abundance of rivers and woods to Grandmother's house or to wherever else you may be headed.
A grim reminder: during last year's Thanksgiving weekend, 11 holiday travelers were killed on Minnesota's roads. Five of those deaths were alcohol-related. Six of the people who died weren't wearing seat belts.
And yes, the weather is supposed to be sunny and mild this year. But that actually is more reason to be careful, as pleasant conditions can easily "translate to motorists traveling at faster speeds and letting down their safety guard," the Department of Public Safety said in a statement Tuesday.
So buckle up, set aside plenty of time to avoid the urge to speed, pay attention to the glut of motorists around you, and, if you plan to drink, please find someone else to drive.
