Heavy traffic, wet weather expected over holiday

Increased traffic and wet weather anticipated toward the end of the holiday weekend have prompted law enforcement officials to issue travel warnings and safety tips to motorists.

Merced police plan to have additional officers patrolling city streets over the extended holiday weekend, Merced police Capt. Tom Trindad confirmed.

The California Highway Patrol will also have extra officers on the highways as part of their four-day Maximum Enforcement Period, which runs from 6 p.m. tonight to midnight Monday, Officer Moises Onsurez said.

“There’s also always the fact that people attend events and parties where they have a few drinks. We’re always concerned and want people to remember that just a few (drinks) can impair you. People should remember to have a designated driver and take other basic safety precautions,” Merced police Capt. Tom Trindad said Wednesday.

More than 1,000 people in California are killed each year in alcohol-related road collisions, and another 23,000 are injured, Merced CHP Cmdr. Sam Samra said in a news release.

Another warning for motorists involved weather conditions. The National Weather Service said heavy rains will begin creeping into the San Joaquin Valley as the holiday weekend comes to an end.

“Particularly on Sunday when most people will be traveling back home. There’s a large storm heading our way,” said William Peterson, a hydromet technician with the National Weather Service in Hanford.

Peterson said motorists should expect at least an inch of rain Sunday in the Valley and, possibly, several inches of snow in the mountains. Meteorologists also said travelers should anticipate patchy morning and evening fog throughout the week.

The CHP advised motorists to follow vehicles at greater distances and to pull off the road if the fog is too dense. Drivers should make sure they have a full tank of gasoline, and that tires and windshield wipers are in good condition.

Most crashes result from excessive speeds while traveling, the CHP said.

“It is a simple matter of physics that your vehicle can’t stop as fast or turn as accurately on wet or icy pavements at higher speeds,” Samra said. “Prepare for potential traffic delays by leaving early and allowing plenty of time to get where you’re going.”

To check current road conditions, contact the California Department of Transportation at (800)427-7623 or www.dot.ca.gov

This story was originally published November 25, 2014 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Heavy traffic, wet weather expected over holiday."