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Travel, patrols up over holiday weekend

ESCANABA — With the United States’ highest level of Memorial Day weekend travel since 2005 expected to be seen this year, local law enforcement agencies are taking action to keep drivers safe over the holiday weekend.

According to AAA, a projected 39.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Memorial Day weekend this year — about one million more than in 2016. This will mark the third consecutive year of growth for Memorial Day travel.

While Memorial Day brings fewer tourists to the Upper Peninsula than Independence Day and Labor Day do, Upper Peninsula Travel and Recreation Association Executive Director Tom Nemacheck said local tourism during the holiday weekend is still strong.

“It’s an important start to the season,” he said.

However, the relatively high level of traffic created by holiday travel can lead to a greater risk of crashes over the weekend.

“With the increase in traffic volume, there’s a higher probability,” Dale Hongisto said. Hongisto is a community service trooper for the Michigan State Police Gladstone Post.

To minimize this risk, the Michigan State Police has designated Memorial Day weekend as an Operation C.A.R.E. weekend.

“It’s an effort that aims to reduce traffic crashes during this holiday travel period,” Hongisto said of Operation C.A.R.E. To this end, the Michigan State Police works with neighboring highway patrols, state police agencies, and — beginning this year — the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Hongisto said Operation C.A.R.E. began in 1977.

“It’s been around for a while,” he said.

Along with their participation in Operation C.A.R.E., the Gladstone Post will be increasing its patrols in the area over the weekend.

“For the holiday period … we’ll have some extra patrols on,” Hongisto said.

Hongisto noted that Gladstone Post troopers will be paying particularly close attention to certain types of traffic violations during this period.

“We’re emphasizing passenger restraint violations, impaired driving, speeding, and intersection safety,” he said.

However, this does not mean that other violations will be ignored.

“Obviously, (for) any other violations, we’ll be taking enforcement action,” Hongisto said.

The Delta County Sheriff’s Department will also be dealing with high levels of traffic this Memorial Day weekend. Sheriff Ed Oswald said his department has noticed an increase in traffic violations which began Thursday morning.

“It’s five times average … it’s been continual,” he said.

Oswald said the sheriff’s department will be increasing their patrols and patrolling in more rural areas over the next few days.

“We usually always have additional traffic patrols on this weekend,” he said. Some of these extra patrols will be funded through the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.

Oswald advised people who will be driving this weekend to be careful and to give themselves enough time to get to their destination safely.

“If you plan on traveling … really, just allow extra time,” Oswald said.

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