Although fewer drivers are expected to hit the road this Memorial Day weekend due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois State Police are reminding motorists to slow down and travel safely.
Trooper Joseph Rush is a Safety Education Officer for District 10 covering East Central Illinois….
{‘’We don’t know what traffic is going to be like. We can’t predict how it’s going to be given that we’re in a pandemic right now. But with that being said, expect that. Be that good defensive driver – expect those high volumes of traffic to be out,’’ said Trooper Rush. ‘’Be paying attention to those that may not be paying attention to you and may be distracted. And then, call in those impaired drivers. You see someone out on the roadway and you believe they’re under the influence – you believe that they’re impaired, they’re driving in an unsafe manner – call 9-1-1.’’}
With temperatures climbing into the mid-80s this weekend, Trooper Rush is also advising motorists to be on the lookout for more motorcycles on the road….
{‘’Those motorcycles – you know they’re out there. It’s a fun hobby for a lot of people. They do definitely enjoy riding, and in the warmer weather they’re going to take advantage of it every day that they can – but yow, it’s a smaller profile vehicle and every vehicle has a blind spot. And people should make themselves familiar with those. But they should be especially careful during the warmer months because there are going to be motorcycles out there,’’ added Trooper Rush.}
AAA predicts record low travel volumes across the U.S. this Memorial Day holiday period with social distancing guidelines still in place. It follows the second highest volume on record last year when 43 million travelers were on the roads.
