It’s Memorial Day weekend, and you know what that means: the unofficial start of summer fun—and summer danger.
This weekend, AAA predicts that more than 39 million Americans will hit the road and travel 50 miles or more from home by car. Just over 3 million people are expected to fly and 1.33 million are expected to travel by bus, train or cruise.
Even more folks will be adventuring close to home, including get-togethers with friends or family, going to barbecues, exploring in nature or shopping those sales. In other words, there’s no shortage of things to do, places to go or people to see. And that could put many people in danger.
Memorial Day is a federal holiday to honor those who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice, but unfortunately many will engage in reckless behaviors.
If the past is any indication, police officers will be out in full force this weekend. They won’t hesitate to pull you over and issue you a ticket, but if that’s the worst that happens to you, you’re still fortunate.
The National Safety Council (NSC) predicts that 450 people may die from preventable accidents this weekend. Memorial Day is one of the most dangerous driving weekends of the year, so the NSC encourages people to plan ahead to stay safe.
View the slideshow for NSC’s common sense driving tips that should be commonplace, both this weekend and all year round.