It’s the unofficial start to summer. Some saying they will be driving a couple hours on busy roads. Turnpike and PennDOT officials expecting a busy weekend.
“Traffic is always out, especially on weekends where nice weather is expected.” Says Monica Owens, from PennDOT. You need to stay focused on driving and avoid distractions, including phones, and unruly passengers, she says. Her and other officials also advise travelers to be well rested before hitting the roads.
“Another big thing right now is the click it or ticket mobilization, and we are really, along with our law enforcement partners, encouraging people to always wear your seatbelt. They will be out and about on roaming patrols, and watching for people who don’t wear their seatbelts.”
Road officials in Blair County say another reason to be cautious is because of construction projects ramping up. They say those places have a higher likelihood for accidents.
Turnpike officials in Somerset say some construction projects will be temporarily halted because of the heavy traffic. They say they’ve been getting more reports of speeding than normal, especially through work zones.
Officials also say numbers of cars on the roads this weekend are predicted to exceed 40 percent more than average. They say with more traffic comes more distractions, and a higher likelihood for accidents. fficials noting they expect traffic to be the highest on Friday and Saturday.