As residents in Louisiana prepare to for the observation of Memorial Day, law enforcement in the state is asking travelers to be safe while heading to their destinations.
At the end of this article, more information about events happening this Memorial Day weekend in Acadiana are provided.
Louisiana State Police is providing tips for traveling and reminding drivers and passengers to buckle up as part of their Click it or Ticket campaign.
According to the American Automobile Association, they predict more than 37 million people will travel 50 miles or more this Memorial Day weekend. Nine out of ten travelers are projected to drive to their destinations.
Tips from State Police are as follows:
- Inspect your vehicle and ensure tire air pressure and fluids are at the proper level
- Avoid distractions behind the wheel and pay attention to traffic around you
- Watch for motorcycles as many riders will venture out this weekend
- With more traffic than normal, allow extra time to get to your destination
- Speeding increases the likelihood of a crash as well as the severity of a crash
- Designate a sober driver before going anywhere alcohol will be consumed
- Never drive impaired or get in a vehicle with an impaired driver
- Ensure all vehicle occupants are properly restrained
LSP notes that a 2019 study conducted by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission showed only 68 percent of vehicle occupants in Louisiana wore a seat belt in the back seat. In addition, pickup truck occupants in Louisiana are 10 percent less likely to wear a seat belt than occupants of other types of vehicles.
"The laws of physics are not suspended simply because you are in the back seat of a vehicle or in a pickup truck. Many pickup truck occupants are killed or seriously injured each year simply because they chose not to wear a seat belt," a release states.
Louisiana state law requires vehicle occupants to be properly restrained in all seating positions, day or night.
LSP says that law enforcement agencies throughout the state are participating in the national Click It or Ticket campaign through June 6th and will be ticketing vehicle occupants who choose not to wear a seat belt.
Motorists who observe impaired or reckless drivers are encouraged to dial *LSP (*577) or to dial 911.
Traffic information is available online at 511la.org, by using the 511la app, or by dialing 511 anywhere in Louisiana.
Upcoming events in Acadiana for Memorial Day
In Lafayette Parish, Memorial Day events will begin at 9:00 a.m. with a ceremony at Fountain Memorial Funeral Home and Cemetery. Honor Guard will be in attendance for the ceremony along with guest speakers and prayer and singing.
A Memorial Day Prayer service will be observed a the Lafayette Memorial Park Cemetery Peace Chapel Mausoleum at 3:00 pm.
A Greenlawn Cemetery will also hold a Memorial Day ceremony on Monday. The ceremony is in its 57th years and begins at 12:00pm at Walter's Funeral Home on North University Avenue.
Bishop Douglas Deshotel will celebrate a Memorial Day Mass on Monday, May 31, 2021. The Mass, hosted by the Diocese of Lafayette and St. Genevieve Catholic Church, will take place at 10 a.m. in The Mausoleum of the Resurrection Chapel of Calvary Cemetery located at 355 Teurlings Drive and Carmel Drive (Breaux Bridge Highway), across from the Diocese of Lafayette.
In Iberia Parish, a Veteran's Memorial Dedication will take place at Bouligny Plaza in Downtown New Iberia. The dedication is put on by the Iberia Veterans Association and will begin at 6:00 pm. on May 31, 2021.
In St. Landry Parish, Church Point will hold their Sunrise to Sunset observance of Memorial Day. They will celebrate the lives and sacrifice of 21 local men who lost their lives in service to the country. Services begin on Saturday May 29 and will continue through May 31 at the Church Point Depot.
In Vermilion Parish, the Louisiana Military Museum will host its Memorial Day Commemoration. A ceremony will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 pm on Monday May 31 in honor of those service members who have died.
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