Triple ‘A’ is predicting more than 35 million people on the roads this weekend traveling for Memorial Day—the highest number in 12 years.
- Traveling safety tips for Memorial Day Weekend:
- Remember to buckle up
- Don't drink and drive
- Get plenty of sleep before traveling long distance
- Take breaks and rest if needed
- Restrain kids in safety seats
- Don't play on phone while driving
With more people on the road, that means a higher possibility for serious crashes. Many people say they are trying to avoid being a part of that statistic and getting caught up in the holiday travel hassles.
“This weekend I’m going to hide in my apartment,” Nathan Stokes said.
“I try to stay off the roads, too much traffic,” said Bob Hewitt.
The National Safety Council estimates that 409 people may be killed on the roads this Memorial Day Weekend, and 47,000 may be seriously injured.
“When I drive on holidays I keep my eyes very sharp on the road and I watch closely to other drivers because they always seem busy doing something else, like playing with the phone, talking to the car. Whatever they’re doing, they seem to be mindset on someplace else, and that makes for bad accidents,” Mickey Huguet said.
The National Safety Council is reminding anyone traveling to wear your seat belt and make sure your kids are restrained in safety seats.
The Florida Highway Patrol is also doing its ‘Click it or Ticket’ campaign. They suggest to designate a driver if you plan on drinking, get plenty of sleep, and take breaks if you’re traveling some distance, and also, put down the cell phone while you’re driving.
AAA and Budweiser’s ‘Tow To Go’ program starts today. They provide you with a free ride and tow if you’ve had too much to drink. The program runs through Tuesday morning.