It’s finally summer and we’re coming up on a major holiday weekend: Independence Day. People all across the nation celebrate with barbecues, fireworks and spending time with family and friends. One big thing synonymous with the annual summer holiday, however, is an increase in traffic. A record-breaking 46.9 million people are predicted to travel 50 miles or more away from home this Independence Day, according to AAA. We’ve compiled a quick list of tips for making sure you’re safe on the road this year.

Stay alert: Make sure you’re well rested, operating within your hours of service, that you’ve eliminated distractions and are practicing good driving habits. If you’re feeling tired, don’t push it – find some truck parking and rest. Lastly, don’t just be aware of the way you’re operating your vehicle, but cognoscente of how drivers around you are operating theirs.

Reduce your speed: Speeding related accidents occur more during the summer months than at any other point in the year. So slow down if you’re outpacing the rest of the traffic around you. Remember, a semi-truck takes a lot longer to stop than an average consumer vehicle. With so much traffic out on the road, you’re going to want to use extra caution.

Stay hydrated: The Fourth of July is right smack dab in the middle of the summer season, which means it’s hot outside. Truck cabs tend to get quite stuffy, especially on long trips.

Be aware of the weather: An increase in motorists isn’t the only threat you may have to deal with when driving during the holiday weekend. That other big threat is the weather, which has the potential to change quickly this time of year. Driving through inclement weather is no fun and can be very dangerous, so we suggest paying closer attention to the weather forecasts along your driving route.