Never too soon to talk about 'your' safety Published Nov. 12, 2010 By Brig. Gen. Ed Wilson Commander, 45th Space Wing Patrick AFB, Fla. -- It's hard for us to believe it's almost that time of year again. Where does the time go? But in less than two weeks, many of you will be hitting the highways, or making some sort of "planes, trains and automobile" plan to join with friends and family to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. We are getting this message out early on purpose because we know, "Safety is no accident." Thanksgiving weekend is the most traveled holiday period of the year with almost 90% of those traveling doing so by car, according to the National Safety Commission. Many of us will hit the roads immediately after work on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, sometimes trying to go too far in too short a time. And that can be a fatal mistake. Please, if you haven't done so already, make plans NOW to avoid becoming a statistic. Talk with your supervisor and families, and if possible arrange your work schedule to avoid the high traffic days of Wednesday and Sunday. The key is to be careful and be smart. When you gamble with safety, you are actually betting your life. It just isn't worth the risk. We all know the holidays are exciting, especially for many of our younger folks who look forward to getting back to see their loved ones. A little planning goes a long way in getting there and returning in one piece! As they say, precaution is better than any cure. The door to safety swings on the hinges of common sense. Let's be sure to keep that door open, so we can all walk through it together in a few weeks, and for many, many years to come. Lisa and I wish you all the best. And thanks again for all you do.