ALDOT on importance of travel safety ahead of Labor Day weekend

ALABAMA (WHNT) — Millions will hit the roads for Labor Day, and officials ahead of the holiday weekend are reminding people about the importance of travel safety.

According to AAA, domestic travel for the upcoming Labor Day weekend is up 9% from last year. Families will be taking advantage of the unofficial end to summer squeezing in one last vacation.

To help with traffic jams, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) will halt interstate lane closures throughout the state during the holiday weekend.

Convenience played a large role in the decision as officials are expecting thousands to be traveling by car whether it’s to Alabama beaches or across state lines.

“We anticipate a lot of traffic every year at this time,” said ALDOT’s Seth Burkett.

Burkett, as the public information officer for ALDOT’s Northern Region, says the closures will aid in making travel safer and less stressful. Come the busy weekend, he recommends an elevated level of awareness and is urging drivers to travel with extreme caution.

“Heightened speed increases the severity of crashes, don’t drive distracted, distracted driving causes a lot of crashes every year,” Burkett said. “With it being Labor Day weekend, people are going to be enjoying some refreshments possibly, don’t get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking.”

Officials also recommend making sure your car is road trip ready which includes checking your tires, battery, and brakes.

“We just want everybody to have a happy and safe Labor Day weekend, we hope that their travel will go smoothly and we want to do everything in our power to make that happen,” Burkett said.

AAA recommends you travel before noon on Thursday and Friday and it suggests traveling back before 10 a.m. Monday morning to avoid heavy traffic.

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