Maryland police are urging drivers to buckle up and travel safely this holiday weekend, whether heading out of town or sticking around.
Statewide last year during Memorial Day weekend, Maryland State Police responded to nearly 400 car accidents, a spokesman said. Troopers this year are using tactics both “conventional and non-conventional,” said First Sgt. Russell Newell to keep traffic moving safely.
In addition to the standard marked police cars stationed off highway shoulders, state police this year are hiding radar and laser equipment in inconspicuous vehicles, including lawn mowers, tractors and dump trucks, to enforce speed limits, Newell said.
“Safety is the priority,” Newell said. “The slower the traffic goes, the more they?re paying attention to their surroundings.”
Drivers on Memorial Day might get into accidents because they start out on their trips late and have to rush, he said.
“I think all too often, their thoughts are on the destination, or what they?re going to do when they get there, and not on the traffic in front of them,” he said. Drivers should buckle up, drive cautiously, he said,and “have patience. Patience is paramount.”
