Marylanders urged to drive with caution during travel-hectic Memorial Day weekend

BALTIMORE -- Hundreds of thousands of Marylanders are heading out for Memorial Day weekend, according to estimates from AAA Mid-Atlantic.

Ahead of the holiday, the "unofficial start of summer," AAA -- along with law enforcement and traffic safety advocates -- are urging drivers to be safe on the roads.

Roger Koch, his wife, and their dog Daisy are on their way to Boston from St. Louis to visit family.

Their goal is to avoid the Memorial Day weekend traffic altogether.

"We'll be up there before the weekend and stay put until after the weekend," Koch said.

Ron White, from Mount Airy, had the same idea, heading to Ocean City for the holiday.

"I've been in bad traffic with a bad vehicle," White said. "That's no fun, so, come early, leave late."

Overall, AAA Mid-Atlantic predicts around 853,000 Marylanders will be traveling more than 50 miles for the Memorial Day weekend. Of that, around 755,000 will be on the road.

That's a more than 5 percent increase from 2022.

Maryland Transportation Authority Police and Maryland State Police will have increased patrols in high-traffic areas, like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

MDTA Chief Col. Kevin Anderson said DUIs are too common on holiday weekends.

"On average, Maryland's losing more than 500 people a year in motor vehicle crashes in our state. Every one of them, every one of them without exception, is avoidable because it comes down to driver behavior and the culture," Anderson said.

While law enforcement advised being careful of other drivers, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller warned to be careful of construction work zones.

Since the I-695 accident that killed six construction workers in March, Miller said there have been 145 more crashes at these sites.

She also announced that on June 1, the new Work Zone Safety Work Group is meeting for the first time.

"Lot of different ideas, I hope, will emerge in this gathering of industry leaders, highway leaders, labor leaders, as well as our construction workers that are going to be in this group," Miller said. "We're gonna talk about the many different ways we can protect them, as well as motorists."

Ragina Ali, manager of public and governmental affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said there is good news for drivers hitting the road for the holiday -- cheaper prices at the pump.

"Gas prices are more than a dollar less than they were this time last year. So, that should certainly bode well for those drivers who plan to take that great American road trip," Ali said.

Still, thinking of when to start your drive? AAA recommends these times for this holiday weekend:

Thursday, May 25  Before 1 p.m.

Friday, May 26          Before 12 p.m.

Saturday, May 27  Minimal traffic expected

Sunday, May 28          Minimal traffic expected

Monday, May 29          Before 10 a.m.

Tuesday, May 30         Before 2 p.m., After 6 p.m.