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Travel experts urge caution as drivers take to the roadways ahead of holidays

More wheels on the roadways and more people in addition to an increase in alcohol consumption and fatigue are major factors in the increase of fatal crashes.

CONNECTICUT, USA — Safety is top of mind for many as they travel for the holiday season.

According to the National Road and Safety Foundation, the fatal crash rates rise 28% during the weeks approaching Christmas and during the holidays up a whopping thirty-eight percent.  

More wheels on the roadways and more people in addition to an increase in alcohol consumption and fatigue are major factors in this increase.

Experts say steps taken before you head to your holiday plans go a long way to prevent tragedy from striking.  

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“Make sure that if you're going to be with family and friends and you'll be drinking, that you make sure that you have a designated driver,” said Director of Operations, National Road and Safety Foundation Michelle Anderson.  

Choosing not to get behind the wheel after a holiday cocktail could save your life and the life of those driving around you.  

“It's so important that we understand that alcohol impairs your judgment and in that judgment impairment we don't know what we'll do, but while we're behind that two-ton vehicle which is now become a weapon," said Anderson. "It can certainly take our own lives or the life of someone else that's on the road."

The organization also stresses that drowsy driving is a form of impairment so noticing those signs can help too. Finding yourself constantly blinking, trouble focusing, daydreaming, frequent yawning and head snaps, known as micro-sleeps are all signs you need to take a break.  

Pulling over, taking a twenty-minute nap, or taking a thirty-minute caffeine break are just a few to-dos to keep you from nodding off.  

“You cannot risk getting behind the wheel drowsy because three seconds with your eyes closed can cause a lot of damage,” said Anderson.  

The Connecticut Department of Transportation Office of Highway Safety will announce a new $10 discount code for Uber which will be available until the first of the New Year available to use between 5 p.m. and 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights.  

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Rachel Piscitelli is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at rpiscitelli@fox61.com. Follow her on FacebookTwitter and Instagram. 

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