An estimated 2.8 million Texans are expected to be on the roads this Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA Texas. The group anticipates that more than 330,000 drivers will require a roadside rescue – at least 21,500 in Texas alone – AAA Texas spokeswoman Anne O’Ryan said.
So here are some safety steps that O’Ryan says motorists should take if they’re getting on the road this weekend:
- Have your car battery tested.
- Make sure your tires are properly inflated.
- Get plenty of sleep — at least seven hours — so you can stay alert. Drowsy driving accounts for about 20 percent of all crashes, O’Ryan said.
- “Pack your patience,” O’Ryan said, and drive defensively.
- Build in extra time for travel.
- The best times to travel will be early morning, as other times will be more crowded.
- Take breaks every two hours or every 100 miles.
- Keep your eyes open for other drivers making sudden lane changes because a lot of out-of-towners and tentative drivers will be on the road.
- Watch out for motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians.
- Don’t text and drive or hold your cell phone.
- Put your pets on a leash or a cage, and not in the front seat.
- Wear your seat belt
- Never drive impaired.
Austin police said officers will be targeting impaired and distracted drivers during the holiday weekend. Under its no-refusal initiative, Austin police will make it harder for a driver suspected of driving while intoxicated to refuse providing a breath or blood sample. If the officer has evidence of impairment, police said, the officer can get a judge’s approval for a search warrant to obtain a blood sample.
The no-refusal effort will be in effect from Friday through June 12 – to include the Republic of Texas motorcycle rally – between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Police said 107 people were arrested last year during the no-refusal period for Memorial Day and ROT Rally.
Interim Austin police Chief Brian Manley recommends that if you do plan to drink, you should have a plan for a ride home. He said the Austin Transportation Department has provided a website, austintexas.gov/gethomesafe, with resources to help you get home safe, including links to Capital Metro services and designated driving programs.
The Williamson County sheriff’s office will be undertaking its own no-refusal initiative, starting Friday and ending Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. each night.
In Hays County, San Marcos police will run its no-refusal program from Friday through Sunday.
