(SIOUX CITY, IA) - The Thanksgiving travel weekend is upon us, and law enforcement officials say it's too deadly a weekend for too many Americans.

The American Auto Association predicts nearly 40 million people will travel between Wednesday and Sunday, with more than 30 million going by road. "Thanksgiving can be a very deadly weekend because of the volume of traffic on the road, and also this time of year we can get inclement weather, which can really add to the traffic problems," said Trooper Chad Peters, with the Iowa State Patrol. Even though this Thanksgiving's forecast does not call for serious snow, Peters says it's not a free pass. "Just like any other time we'd ask people to watch their following distance, watch your beverage selection, and buckle up when you're on the roads," he continued.

In Iowa, Thanksgiving weekend has been the deadliest for the last ten years. In 2008, Troopers recorded more than 900 crashes resulting in more than 300 injuries. 30 percent of those were caused by an impaired driver. "Any time of the year is a bad time to lose a family member, last year there were eight fatalities over the Thanksgiving holiday, which 8 doesn't seem like a very big number unless it's one of your family that's in that eight," said Peters. Buckle up, leave extra time, and leave extra space between you and the car in front of you, Peters advises, giving you and your family the best shot at a safe weekend.

 

Reported by Jeremy Maskel. You can reach Jeremy at jmaskel@kmeg.com. Friend him on facebook at www.facebook.com/jmaskel, or follow him on twitter at www.twitter.com/jermaskel.