Safe Holiday Travel Tips

As summer approaches, many motorists will take to Kentucky's roadways to travel.  Increased traffic is expected throughout the summer months. While this is often a time for fun and gathering with family and friends, it is also a time for increased auto and truck accidents.

Kentucky State Police offer the following tips for safe holiday travel:

• Buckle your seat belt and make sure your passengers do also. It's the best defense in a traffic crash. According to Kentucky law, children 40 inches in height or less must be buckled into a child safety restraint that meets federal standards. Children over 40 inches tall must wear a seat belt.
• Slow down. Excessive speed reduces your ability to avoid a crash, extends your vehicle's stopping distance and increases the severity of a crash when it occurs.
• Avoid aggressive driving behaviors such as tailgating, passing on the shoulder of the road, changing lanes without signaling, violating traffic signals and weaving in and out of traffic.
• Be extra-attentive in construction zones. Look for the orange warning signs, follow posted speed limits, leave adequate space between vehicles, obey road crew flaggers, watch for workers and sudden stops and be prepared for changing road surfaces and traffic patterns.
• Watch for road debris, such as tire treads, garbage, lumber, gravel, tree limbs, muffflers and exhaust parts.
• Avoid fatigue by taking frequent breaks, particularly on long-distance trips.
• Watch for semi-tractor trailers at all times
• Be Safe