ODOT shares travel safety reminders during holiday season

Okla. — Roads and highways in Oklahoma can be busy around the holiday season and there are a few things to keep in mind while on the road.

FOX23 spoke with an Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) spokesperson about his recommendations on staying safe while driving to your holiday destination.

His recommendations are very simple like buckling up or being cautious of the road construction ahead.

They may sound cliché and simple, but it’s the most vital reminders to keep in mind.

Christmas is a time of spreading cheer, but also the time to prepare for heavy traffic along the highways and byways.

Around this time, TJ Gerlach with ODOT said it’s not just around Christmas, it’s any holiday where accidents are more prone to happen.

“Any time we definitely have more travelers out there on the roadways, there is a little bit of a heightened chance for any crashes or anything like that,” Gerlach said.

In order to stay safe on the roads while traveling this holiday season, Gerlach said to exercise caution and your skills as a driver.

“Any time if anybody is planning on traveling anywhere anytime this week really, we just want to make sure people are paying extra attention to the roadways. If you encounter a work zone, you definitely want to make sure you’re paying extra attention to any speed reductions, any lane shifts, or anything like that that’s going on in a work zone,” Gerlach said.

Gerlach also said to keep an eye out for any construction sites that could get in the way of your destination.

He listed a few work zones within the Green Country area.

“We have I-244 on the west side of downtown. Over on the east side of Catoosa we have some lane narrowing’s on I-44 just this side over the Will Rogers Turnpike,” Gerlach said.

There’s also some extra work going on in other cities and at the turnpikes to be on the lookout for.

Gerlach said even when Christmas and New Years are busy, Thanksgiving is the busiest of all of the holidays on the road.

“Historically, Thanksgiving is more of our busiest time just because there’s usually more people traveling say on that Wednesday. Whereas around Christmas time, a lot of people will spread it out anywhere from the 21st to the 25th and then on the way back, the 26th to the 28th or 29th,” Gerlach said.

Even though the roads may not be as busy as previous holidays or years, it’s still vital to use caution while driving.

“Make sure your cellphone is charged and everything like that. You might want to check the weather conditions both where you’re traveling through and your destination and make sure you’re not going to be caught in any rain or snow anything like that,” Gerlach said.

Gerlach said when everyone is on the road, their main priority is safety to make sure everyone makes it home safe to help make Oklahoma safe especially during the holiday season.

To see current traffic conditions before traveling, check ODOT’s app, ‘Drive Oklahoma’ and the free FOX23 News app to see what weather conditions you may be dealing with.

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