Millions of drivers are expected to hit the roadway this Memorial day weekend and the Louisiana Transportation Department advises travelers to exercise extra caution. DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett said 330 people have lost their lives in fatal crashes this year in Louisiana so put down the phone and buckle up to prevent more fatalities.
“You know we’re going to have more people on the highway, a lot of people driving through areas they had not driven before so they’re going to have different driving conditions than they’re used to,” Mallet said.
Last year over 800 drivers died in Louisiana. Mallett hopes they do not surpass that number this year, despite traffic volume up over last year.
“We’re hoping that through the summer we’ll see the numbers go down, and then of course in the wintertime we’re hoping we can keep the numbers to go down, we’d like to see that trend downwards,” Mallet said.
Travelers should expect roadwork on I-10 next to the Texas border and near the Atchafalaya Basin and I-12 in St. Tammany Parish. Mallet says there will be no lane closers but be aware of speed limit changes and lane shifts.
“And that’s another reason that people need to make sure that they don’t drive distracted because your driving situation could change at any minute,” Mallet said.
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