The Thanksgiving holiday can be a joyous occasion but also a hectic time. Americans are headed to parties and dinners, anxious to see family and friends, partaking of food and beverage, staying up late and often traveling great distances for the holiday weekend. In the midst of such hustle and bustle, it’s easy to become distracted, to drink a bit more alcohol than you should, to not focus on safety. And that poses a serious, potentially life-threatening problem.

Here’s a number that should grab attention: 502. That’s how many people safety experts fear will perish in traffic crashes this Thanksgiving weekend nationwide. According to the National Safety Council, alcohol-involved collisions are a prime concern (they are more common around Thanksgiving than at other times of the year) but so, too, are aggressive or even inattentive drivers. And the problem is most acute at peak travel times — beginning 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27, and ending at midnight on Sunday, Dec. 1.

The Maryland State Highway Administration cautions drivers to take some reasonable precautions: Drive at off-peak hours (early or late in the day); if your vehicle becomes disabled, move it as far away from the travel lanes as possible; call #77 or 911 in an emergency (when it is safe to make the call); and, of course, the obvious ones are to drive sober, buckle up and keep your eyes on the road.

None of this is rocket science. Yet it seems the threat posed by traffic crashes is constantly underestimated by the driving public. Maryland records about 2,200 firearms-related injuries each year and people clearly understand the dangers posed by guns. So how many individuals are injured from crashes on the state’s roads and highways? That would be 41,712 or 19 times as many.

Still unconvinced? Drivers would be wise to take a few minutes and visit the online Maryland State Police “Crash Data Download” that shows where motor vehicle crashes take place with each incident marked on a map with a small green dot. Take one look and the message is clear: Maryland is entirely covered in green from the Atlantic to the Appalachians. A crash can happen to anyone just about anywhere and does.

The best gift we can provide our loved ones this holiday season is to drive defensively as if our lives depended on it — because, of course, they do.