ECTOR COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – AAA Texas says four million Texans will travel 50 miles or more this year for Thanksgiving, and that means plenty of cars on the road. That’s why they ‘re recommending you stay safe by avoiding peak travel times if you can.

“We really look at the timeframe from Wednesday to Sunday. That’s usually the busiest, so if folks do have the opportunity to head out a little bit earlier then that, then of course. You are more than likely going to avoid the heaviest of traffic, although even starting today Tuesday in the afternoon in your major metro areas, that traffic is going to be picking up,” said AAA Texas spokesperson Joshua Zuber.

One of those early Thanksgiving travelers fueling up in Ector County says that AAA Texas has the right idea about avoiding the crowds. Destiny is visiting Texas for the first time and headed to Dallas for Thanksgiving, and she says it’s been smooth sailing because of the hours she travels and roads she uses.

“We’ve been traveling a lot at night so it hasn’t been that difficult getting through cities, and we’ve been traveling long distances, a long time on one strip of road, and the traffic really hasn’t been that bad,” Destiny told ABC Big 2 News.

AAA Texas also says it’s important to plan for the trip back home after Thanksgiving, and that means staying alert and switching drivers if necessary.