Memorial Day Holiday Getting Underway: Millions of People Hitting the Road, Police Will be Out in Force

You’ve heard it before, but it’s still good advice: police want you to slow down, stay alert and stay sober when you’re behind the wheel during the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

“We do see an increase in accidents on special event weekends,” said State College Police Officer Kelly Aston. “It’s a nice weekend for people to get out and enjoy the community events. We’re just there to monitor anything that could go wrong.”

AAA projects a whopping 31.2 million people will hit the highways this weekend. So, in case something does go wrong, State College Police officers will be doing their part to keep us all safe. They’ll be on the lookout for impaired and aggressive drivers. Extra foot and bike patrol will also be on the streets.

With road travel high, air travel is expected to decline by 8 percent this weekend, according to AAA.

“I think Memorial weekend is more of an automobile frame,” said the Centre County Airport Authority Director James Mayer. “When people fly they want to be gone for the week.”

Gas prices peaked in February so drivers are catching a break on the cost factor.

AAA reported the cost of renting a car is up 19 percent to the highest rate in four years. State College Enterprise Rent-A-Car Manager Scott Holland said he thinks that’s why some people are staying in town this weekend. Holland is still making sure he’s fully staffed and has the cars he needs.

Holland said he tells drivers to take their time traveling back to State College from their various getaways. “I’d rather them get back safe,” he said.

Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Niagara Falls and New York City are all popular Memorial Day destinations. Whether you’re heading for one of those hot spots or someplace else, police say your first priority should be to “buckle up.” According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the number of people using seat belts hit a record-high 86 percent in 2012.

Still, 503 deaths were blamed on “unbelted” crashes last year.

A nationwide program called “Click it or Ticket” is now underway. Pennsylvania State Police were ordered to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for those who don’t “click it.”

Click HERE for more information about the “Click it, or Ticket” campaign.

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