WORCESTER, Mass. - Many are already beginning their Thanksgiving travel, and the state's Department of Transportation is asking drivers to be safe and aware on the roads this week.

MassDOT's newly appointed Secretary of Transportation Monica Tibbits-Nutt said they'll be working closely with state and local police in an effort to slow people down.

Tibbits-nutt said people in the state are driving too fast. She pointed to data in recent years showing a spike in the state's traffic fatalities and said drivers play a big role in keeping roadways safe.

"Do not try and speed to make up time,” Tibbits-Nutt said. “Be aware, be alert, listen to the speed limits, get off of your phone, make sure you're keeping your head on a swivel, paying attention to busses, to pedestrians, to cyclists especially. Leave yourself enough time. There is no reason to get into an accident just because you want to get somewhere quicker."

Tibbits-Nutt said while Massachusetts is one of the safer states in the country, there is room for improvement. She called the state's new vulnerable user law a good tool to help make roads safer. It requires drivers to leave at least four feet of space when passing anyone who is not in a car.