Thanksgiving is less than 24 hours away, and one of the busiest travel days of the year is upon us.
With a record number of Floridians on the move, Florida Highway Patrol is out to help people get to their destinations safely.
The day before Thanksgiving is traditionally a day spent sitting in traffic for many Americans. This year in particular is forecasted to be even busier than recent years.
Gas prices are low, and according to the travel company AAA, that's attracting in excess of 48 million people into traveling this Thanksgiving. The majority of those travelers, over 89 percent, will be hitting the roads, according to AAA.
With an estimated 2 million people driving in Florida alone, Florida Highway Patrol is ready to help drivers stay safe, but they want everyone to know that they can't do it alone.
The soul responsibility is behind the driver of that car, the Florida Highway Patrol said. It is a choice that the driver makes whether to be safe or not to be safe.
“Whether it’s drinking and driving, keeping that cellphone in a hand, driving over-tired, or just antsy kids, limit the distractions, and keep looking out the windshield,” Steven Montiero from the Florida Highway Patrol said.
"We can't do this alone. As troopers we're out here, our soul goal is for people to get A to B safely. We're not out here to give anyone a hard time, it is a true passion for us to come out here to have traffic safety but we can't do it by ourselves, a driver needs to help us,” Montiero said.
Police will be out in full force to do their part, but the ultimate responsibility falls on the driver.
"Make the choice to be safe and we'll be out there to help you,” Montiero said.