Law Enforcement All Revved Up To Keep Trouble Away This Holiday Weekend
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It's summer's last holiday weekend, and tens of thousands of Marylanders are spending at least some of it on the road to destinations for celebration.
Marcus Washington has some reminders from the experts on safety this weekend.
The first thing to know is that traffic law enforcement is all revved up and looking to keep trouble out of the picture.
It is the unofficial end of summer, and the National Safety Council has some sobering statistics, estimating nearly 48,000 people nationwide will be injured in crashes this weekend.
State police are out to keep that number as low as possible here in Maryland.
"We want to make sure that motorists get to their destination safely," said Sgt. Marc Black, Maryland State Police.
Troopers will be on the lookout for aggressive drivers, and in case you have an emergency, here's what to do:
"If you have a flat tire and it blows out while you're in the roadway, your life is more precious a that tire is," said Sgt. Black. "So maybe ride on that flat at a slow speed to get off to the shoulder, a wide shoulder, or even ride off to a side street. We don't want you to stay on the interstates or any major thoroughfare where you could be a target for another vehicle."
The common warnings still apply--use your seat belt. The National Highway Safety Administration says nearly 45 percent of the people killed in crashes last year were not wearing seat belts, and this year, serious injuries are up 30 percent.
"We just want people to get to their destination safely. We understand with the low gas prices, there's going to be increased vehicles on the roadway. So we're going to be out there looking to make sure everyone gets to their destination safely," said Sgt. Black.
And be aware--they're on the alert for drunk drivers. Choose a designated driver or find an alternative means of transportation.
Travelers have seen a break at the pumps this holiday weekend. The national average for a gallon of regular gas is $2.40. That's more than $1 less than the national average last year.
