PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Memorial Day traveling is underway in Pennsylvania, and PennDOT is emphasizing road safety during a time where record numbers of Americans are expected on the roads.
PennDOT is emphasizing seatbelt laws during the weekend, which sees the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission expecting approximately 2.9 million vehicles on its roadway during the busy Memorial Day weekend, a 1.5% increase from last year.
"We're in the middle of a 'click it or ticket' enforcement wave right now, which means that they are looking to see if you're wearing those seatbelts," said PennDOT spokesperson Fritzi Schreffler. "People may not think much about it, but that's the first line of defense to keep you from being seriously injured or killed in a crash."
PennDOT is also emphasizing impaired driving, and says law enforcement will be keeping a watchful eye for it over the weekend.
"A lot of people are going to be out," Schreffler said. "They may be driving long hours to get to be with family, they may be with family and friends and maybe drinking a little bit more than they should be. So we want to make sure people know that law enforcement, both state and local, are out all weekend, especially looking for impaired drivers."