Memorial Day Weekend Roadway Safety
By Joe Dominguez
EL PASO COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities know that many people won’t heed the warnings of not drinking and driving on this Memorial Day weekend but its not the only danger on the roadways.
“We need to be extra vigilant just because of the concentration of people that are going to be in the area,” says Sergeant Mark Getskow of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
He says a great deal of their concentration will be on drivers they believe to be driving drunk because he says they are the greatest risk on the road.
“Anytime we actually make contact with anyone who’s driving under the influence I look at it as possibly saving someone’s life or stopping someone from getting maimed,” says Sgt. Getskow.
Authorities say they can only do so much though even on a holiday weekend when most agencies are out in force. They say drivers need to slow down and stay alert on the roadways to help cut down on the number of accidents.
Besides not consuming alcohol, they say you should avoid driving when you’re tired. They say changing drivers on long trips can help prevent you from relying on a tired driver. It’s also encouraged that you call and report dangerous drivers or those who may be driving drunk.
Sgt. Getskow says dangerous driving includes cars drifting out of their lanes. He says those who don’t stop at red lights or turn before coming to a complete stop are also a hazard on the road. Getskow adds that authorities also see speeders and those who go too slowly as getting in the way of roadway safety.
“We’ll be out there, we’ll be looking, we’ll be communicating with one another, [and] we’ll be waiting for calls from the public,” says Sgt. Getskow. “If they see anything we definitely want to know about it.”
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is one of many agencies statewide that will have more patrol cars than usual on the streets throughout the entire weekend.
“There are so many programs out there and so forth,” says Sgt. Getskow. “Get a cab, get a friend, have a designated driver, [or] use public transportation if it’s early enough-whatever it takes just don’t go on the road. It’s not worth the risk to someone else or yourself.”
