Record Memorial Day Travel Expected; Ohio Officials Urge Caution Amid Roadwork and Safety Patrols

Millions of drivers will hit the road for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, kicking off the unofficial start to summer.

The American Automobile Association estimates that a record 45.1 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles from home during the holiday, 1.4 million more than 2024.

Last year in Ohio, 26 people were killed in 22 fatal crashes during the three-day Memorial Day weekend reporting period. 

The Ohio State Highway Patrol will be keeping a close eye on the roads with extra emphasis on seat belt violations, impaired or distracted drivers, and speeding.

You can help contribute to a safer Ohio by calling #677 to report drug activity and dangerous or impaired driving.

With nearly 1,000 new construction projects this year, there is a lot of work underway on Ohio roads.

The Ohio Department of Transportation will work with contractors to suspend or reduce the size of active work zones as much as possible to accommodate the extra traffic.

However, that’s not possible in every situation, and travel delays due to road work are likely in multiple locations.

Remember, Ohio law requires you to move over a lane for all stationary public safety vehicles with flashing lights.

If you cannot safely move over, you are required to slow down to keep all roadside workers safe.