10 Ways USDOT Is Making Holiday Travel Safer And Easier

Every holiday season, we work with law enforcement to crack down on drunk driving -- and to tell Americans, "Drive Sober or Get Pulled over." That's part of the reason why last December saw the fewest drunk driving deaths of any December in more than 30 years.

So remember, you're allowed to drink the eggnog, but make sure you have a ride home.

We can't give every parent a TurboMan jetpack. But we can give them the info they need to keep their kids safe... info like how to install their kids' car seats properly (look here!). And when unsafe car seats are on the market -- like earlier this month -- USDOT finds out and makes sure they're recalled.

Do you want to bring home a tree like the Griswold's? Well, we wouldn't advise it.

But no matter what you're tying to the top of your car this year, you should make sure your car is ready to brave the winter roads. Check out some tips from DOT!

A lot of travelers -- especially college kids -- will be heading home by bus over the next few days. But before you buy your ticket, download DOT's SaferBus app and check out the safety record of your motorcoach carrier. It's free. It's easy. It'll keep you from getting in a situation like this:

We always tell people to be careful when they bike or walk. But in some places, it's impossible to walk or bike safely no matter how careful you are. So at USDOT, we're working to identify those places and build the things that will make walking and biking safer there -- things like crosswalks, streetlights, streetlamps.

Because the road should be safe for everyone. Especially Will Ferrell.

We know the airport can get crazy this time of year. That's why USDOT is working with the military to open up more air space for commercial flights, and we're also installing new satellite air traffic control systems that cut down on delays and allow planes to fly straighter routes. That way, even if you miss one flight, it won't be too hard to catch one right behind it.

Because no one should get stuck home alone ever again.

Did you know that if you lined up all of America's structurally-deficient bridges, they'd stretch from Boston to Miami? Getting over the river isn't as easy as it used to be. That's why at DOT we're fighting for more funding to fix our roads and bridges.

Because bridges are important... well, unless you need to put some distance between you and the wolves. USDOT doesn't really deal with wolves.

Potholes can be dangerous things. Especially for delivery trucks, which don't always have the best suspensions. (This year, I visited a UPS depot and heard about a driver who drove over a pothole, and the jolt hurt his ankle).

That's why at USDOT, we're trying to secure more money for road improvement. We're also pioneering new kinds of asphalt so road-pavers can fix potholes in even colder temperatures than they could in the past.

This way, your delivery driver's ankle remains unharmed -- and so does the cargo he's carrying. Which may, or may not, be a bad thing... depending on how you feel about leg lamps.

In 2012, one-in-ten fatal car accidents were caused when a driver was distracted, meaning their eyes were on something other than the road... like a cell phone. That's why police are on the lookout this year for texting and driving. And DOT is spreading the word.

Because there are two kinds of people who should never answer the phone: drivers and Buddy the Elf.

Family...

Friends...

and Love Actually Loved ones