May long weekend is almost here and the Alberta RCMP is encouraging everyone to follow a few tips to ensure everyone has an enjoyable and safe weekend.
The long weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer for most Canadians, so road trips, camping, and other adventures are common. Alberta RCMP Public Information Officer Corporal Mathew Howell says if you plan on travelling, planning ahead can be a significant factor in making sure your trip is smooth sailing.
“If you’re traveling long distances, just make sure that you’re taking adequate breaks, that you’re not driving overly tired, and that you always remain alert on the road,” he says. “It’s always best to plan ahead and to plan yourself just a bit of extra travel time just to be safe so you never feel stressed or like you have to be in a rush to get somewhere.”Â
If you plan on heading to the mountains, Howell says there are a few extra things to keep in mind as conditions, wildlife, cell signals, and other easily ignored hazards can have dire consequences in the Rockies.
“If you’re going into the mountains, one of the big things you have to think about is the cell signal, there’s a lot of areas in there that have no cell signal, so have some sort of other way of communicating with the outside world,” he says. “Make sure you have a proper emergency kit in your car, which means anything you might need to survive for a few days, as well as anything you might need to repair your car if it has a minor issue, be it a flat, be it the fluids that might have run out, that kind of stuff.”
May Long, like any other long weekend, typically brings partying and drinking along with it, so if you plan on celebrating – Howell says enjoy, as long as you’re responsible.
“If you are going to be out partying or drinking, just make sure you have a safe way home – do not drink and drive,” he says. “Be aware that though you may be respecting the rules others might not be, which means that there might be some people who are out there either overly tired or drinking and driving, so just be mindful of your own driving, because that’s what you can’t control when you’re on the road.”
Howell adds that even if you don’t plan on drinking, drivers should be mindful that long weekends bring “a lot more people” to the roads, so allowing for extra travel time, and staying informed about road conditions is recommended.
“On long weekends, there’s a lot more people on the road, so just be mindful that it might take a bit more time to get to where you wanna get,” he says. “With regards to the weather – we’re yes, in the warmer temperatures, it does get cool at night so just be mindful that if it’s rain or anything else, the road’s gonna be slippery – it might even be almost icy, so just to be mindful of the conditions of the road and always drive to them.”Â
When it comes to enforcement, Howell assures that during long weekends, traffic units will “typically” be out in full force to keep everyone safe on the roads.
