Memorial Day weekend is about here, and police remind everyone to stay alert and be cautious.
Berrien County Sheriff Chuck Heit tells us the most important thing this Memorial Day is to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, but he also knows many people take the weekend to spend time with friends and family. Heit says that means lots of travel.
“Obviously it’s a very heavily traveled day, so we would ask for drivers to plan ahead, expect some traffic during that holiday and give it extra time,” Heit said. “Obey traffic laws. It’s a big time for seatbelts, distracted driving.”
And biggest of all, Heit says plan ahead if you’re going to be drinking. Arrange for a designated driver or another ride home because driving drunk is a quick way to wind up in jail.
Also, watch out while driving around town.
“Staying vigilant, mindful pedestrians and cyclists if it’s good weather. We could see a lot of pedestrian traffic in different areas. That obviously that can affect beaches and for us with our marine deputies on the water.”
Heit says they’ll be making sure boaters are using life jackets and not drinking. He suspects there could be some busy beach days this weekend, so use caution if you venture out into the water. Lake Michigan may be too cold to safely swim in right now.
Police statewide are also conducting a Click It or Ticket seatbelt enforcement campaign for Memorial Day weekend. There will be extra patrols out on the roads throughout Michigan as police watch out for people not buckling up.
