Driving and Boating Safety Emphasized as Long Weekend Starts

State police in New Hampshire are reminding people to be safe during the upcoming long weekend.

"Memorial Day weekend is here, which brings increased travel throughout our state by vehicle and by vessel. Saving lives on the roadways and waterways is our top priority and we ask for everyone's assistance in keeping those around us safe," says a press release issued on behalf of Col. Nathan Noyes and the troopers.

The press release offers tips about how to stay safe throughout the weekend and summer months, including designating a sober driver or using a safe ride program, keeping speeds down and maintaining a proper distance from other drivers, remaining focused while operating a vehicle, buckling up and always using a personal flotation device while on the water.

People were also reminded to move over when approaching a crash or a vehicle that has been pulled over by a trooper.

AAA's Memorial Day holiday travel forecast predicts 60 percent more travelers this year over last year, but that is still six million fewer than pre-pandemic times.

From May 27 to May 31, more than 37 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home. 2020 was the lowest year on record since AAA began recording that traffic in 2000.

Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, says that with people getting vaccinated and consumer confidence growing, pent-up demand will result in a significant increase in Memorial Day travel.

This is a strong indicator for the summer, but Twidale reminds people to continue taking important safety precautions.

Officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that 62 percent of adults in the United States have had at least one vaccination and 50 percent of people over the age of 18 are fully vaccinated.

Memorial Day is known as the kick-off to summer because it is a federal holiday in America, but it was started as a day for honoring and mourning the military personnel who have died serving the country.

From 1868 to 1970, Memorial Day was observed on May 30.

Contact Managing News Editor Kimberley Haas at Kimberley.Haas@townsquaremedia.com.