State troopers to be ‘highly visible’ during Memorial Day weekend

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) - The Memorial Day holiday began Friday for a lot of people and that means hitting the roadway for summer vacation or visiting friends and family.

WBRC spoke with State Troopers about traffic safety ahead of the holiday rush.

Cpl. Reginal King, a spokesman for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said the Memorial Day holiday travel period began at 12:01 a.m. Friday and ends midnight on Monday.

The highway patrol division of the ALEA will be conducting high visibility traffic details during that holiday time. They believe drivers are more likely to follow the rules of the road if they see law enforcement nearby.

That means drivers can expect to see driver’s license and equipment checkpoints on state roadways, along with other deterrents.

“Its effective because if you see the blue lights, you know that troopers are out on the roadways. And let’s be honest, no one should want to go to jail,” King said. “So, we hope the visibility alone deters people from drinking and driving and exercising dangerous practices such as following too close and simply not wearing your seatbelt while on the roadways.”

Troopers also suggest a quick safety check of your car if you plan on traveling this weekend. Walk around the vehicle and check the tires for low pressure, and make sure there’s a working spare in the car as well.

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