The National Safety Council is predicting 460 people will die on the nation’s roads over this Labor Day weekend. But NSC officials say there’s a way to avoid that gruesome number.

Mark Chung, an NSC vice president, says the prediction is 19 percent higher than last year, when traffic fatalities increased despite there being fewer drivers on the road because of the pandemic. He attributed that to three factors.

“We’re seeing a lot more people speeding,” he said. “We're seeing more people not wearing their seatbelts. And we're seeing more people driving impaired.” 

 And by “impaired'' he doesn't mean just drug and alcohol use. That includes drivers who are on the road when they’re tired.

He said there are three things drivers can do to avoid becoming statistics.

“Slow down, buckle up, don't drive under the influence, and check your vehicle for recalls.”

Driver’s can do that by going to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’swebsite and entering their vehicle’s VIN number. That’s because you wouldn’t want your brake pedal going to the floor at the wrong time because you ignored a manufacturer’s recall.