Drivers should not dash through the snow.(YOUR LIFE)

Icy roadways, stressed shoppers, packed highways, frolicking kids, soused partygoers--all conspire to make the holiday season the most dangerous time of the year for drivers and pedestrians. Given that speeding is a factor in roughly 30% of all traffic fatalities, there are plenty of reasons to slow down over the next couple of months. Here are five really good ones to keep in mind, courtesy of Autobytel's safe-driving campaign:

Because death definitely does not take a holiday. Over the past decade, roughly 13,500 traffic fatalities occurred during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's holiday periods, and nearly 5,000 of those deaths were speeding related. This upward trend actually starts after October, culminating on New Year's--the deadliest day for speeding-related fatalities of any date on the calendar. Moreover, pedestrians account for nearly 13% of all crash deaths.

Because it is a busy, busy time on the old highways. It is estimated that more than 35,000,000 people will drive 50 miles or more from home on Thanksgiving weekend, and that another 50,000,000-plus will drive over 50 miles during the Christmas season to visit friends and family.

Because too many drivers have had too much "holiday cheer" ...