ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Memorial Day weekend is upon us and that means a lot more people will be on the road traveling the next couple days.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is sharing some tips on how to stay safe during a busy travel weekend.
For many, Memorial weekend marks the unofficial start of summer and that means a lot more people on the roads this weekend, including people hauling boats and campers.
AAA anticipates 39.2 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home this weekend.
That’s an increase of 8.3 percent over last year and brings travel volumes near those in 2017.
MnDOT wants to remind drivers to remain attentive and cautious, to give more space to those towing, and to put the distractions away.
If you are towing anything over the weekend, MnDOT says to make sure everything is secured.
“You know, you chart your path before you go, it’s good to check all the safety chains, you’re secure,” MnDOT District 6 Spokesman Mike Dougherty said. “If you have anything in the boat, is it all secured? All those things that just make sure that not only is your property taken care of but if it’s not, that can create a hazard and perhaps a tragedy for some other motorists if it comes loose.”
Even if you don’t see any workers in construction zones this week, MnDOT wants to remind drivers to still be careful in work zones.
If you are planning to travel at all this weekend, you can use the 511 map to see if there is any construction or detours on your route.
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