Memorial Day weekend is typically the official start of the busy holiday travel season.
Police across the state are getting ready, including in Northern Michigan.
The Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office is one of many police agencies that will be stepping up patrols over the holiday weekend.
Andre Jones is a deputy with the department. He said they are just doing what they can to keep people safe, not put a damper on their holidays.
“There’s a lot of people who, you know, think we’re ruining their day, but really, we’re really, we’re just trying to make sure that they’re safe and the public is safe as well, said Jones.
He said with the increase in drivers on the roadways, there’s also an increase in troubles.
“What we look for is you know, drunk, impaired and reckless driving. Make sure we are looking for distracted drivers and typically you’re seeing people that aren’t wearing seatbelts., especially with this weekend being the one of the most traveled holidays of the year, said Jones.
Jones said most of the things he sees are preventable. He said one of the biggest safety issues he deals with around the holidays is the lack of seat belt usage,
“People just either forget to put them on or just or just don’t like wearing them, said Jones.
For the other issues, he said there are definite signs they watch out for.
“The main one is all over the roadway, you know, not maintaining their lane, you know, not maintaining their speed where they’re they speed up, they slow down. No high rates of speed, reckless driving, you know, not using your blinker, you know, things like that,” said Jones.
He reminds motorists to be extra cautious.
“Seasonal people come to your town, and they look at their GPS or they look down at their phone or they’re talking. They’re distracted. They’re not really paying attention. The music’s too loud. They can’t hear,” said Jones.
Jones has these tips to make sure the fun isn’t ruined by tragedy .
“Make sure you’re paying attention, you know, staying off your phone, being alert, being aware of where you’re at and just paying attention to other drivers and other things,” said Jones.
Jones said the 2nd most common issue they during the holidays is an increase in distracted driving. Drunk driving also ranks high on the list.
