Connecticut State Police, AAA and state Sen. Tony Hwang were at the I-95 rest area in Fairfield Wednesday morning to urge holiday drivers to use extra caution and obey all traffic laws.

Officials say the leading causes of accidents are reckless driving, distracted behavior, and impairment from alcohol and marijuana use.

"Every life that is lost is one too many. And these tragedies, however poignant, can be prevented," said Hwang . "It highlights really the devastating potential of highway risk driving."

AAA says there were 1,976 crashes in Connecticut last year between the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and the Monday after.