NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Millions of people are traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday, to celebrate with friends and family. One of those travelers is Michael Johnston, a service technician at American Trailer Parts.
He said he planned to head out on the road Wednesday and will travel around 540 miles.
"I'm going just to the west side of Chicago. I've got some family there. So I'm gonna go there and try to have a nice holiday," Johnston said. "Over eight hours. This is gonna be, it's gonna be quite a trick."
The Tennessee Department of Transportation said he's far from the only one heading out onto the roads this holiday, and leaders said it's going to get busy.
"Try to use extra patience, and try to ensure that you're going to get to where you need to go safely and efficiently," said Mark Nagi, a TDOT spokesperson.
Nagi said during these times of high traffic, if a car breaks down it's even tougher for a tow truck to come and help.
"Make sure you've got a full tank of gas, and that your tires are properly inflated," Nagi said. "If your car did break down, make sure you've got blankets. Bottled water is good to have an emergency kit for those types of situations."
State Trooper Robert Simpson also said distracted driving is a big problem in Tennessee, potentially contributing to a rise in traffic crashes and fatalities. He said just a glance down looking at a cell phone could cost a life.
"A lot of people get on their cell phone, wanting to text somebody, wanting to tell their family, 'Hey, I'm on the way.' And, pull over make your phone call, you know? That's what's causing a lot of these crashes is people not maintaining 100% focus on driving," Simpson said. "Literally a second taking your eyes off the road. Somebody stopped, you're still traveling at 65 miles an hour, and they slowed down to 30 because the traffic, but you're still moving fast."
Over the next few days, Simpson said troopers are teaming up with local agencies to keep people safe. When someone gets a citation for being on their phone, Simpson said, they also educate them. He said even holding a phone while talking on speaker is against the law, and a citation will increase insurance payments.
Johnston, as a service technician, said it's better to prepare for those long drives ahead of time by making sure cars are in good condition and are ready for long hauls on the highway.
"Just like you would your own health before you go do something strenuous. It's going to be strenuous on your car, going on an eight-plus hour drive. So, you want to take it in for a checkup," Johnston said.
For people who are about to head out and celebrate Thanksgiving, Johnston said there are other ways to spend time behind the wheel other than on a cell phone.
"Take this time to remember what you're thankful for and appreciate what you've got," Johnston said.