A Weekly Note from Mayor Gary L. Graham
“Traditional Values, Progressive Thinking”
Memorial Day weekend is the beginning of the travel season in America when many of us take to the road for vacations and weekend trips. Whether your Memorial Day trip is across the country or just across town, you can rest assured that you and your loved ones will arrive safe and sound if you practice the following safety tips.
· Plan your trip so that you have plenty of time to reach your destination.
· Avoid aggressive driving behaviors such as, speeding, tailgating, failing to yield the right-of-way, and following too closely.
· Drive defensively.
· Make sure your vehicle is well maintained. Check tire pressures and tread, clean all lights, check brakes and battery.
· Use seat belts each and every time you are in a vehicle. Buckling up can substantially reduce the severity of injuries in nonfatal crashes.
· Always secure children in child car seats in the back seat.
· Allow someone else to drive when taking medications or when you are drowsy.
· Don’t let drinking and driving turn a holiday celebration into a tragedy. Even moderate consumption of wine or beer impairs your ability to make proper decisions on the road.
Memorial Day weekend also provides us with an opportunity to pause for a moment and remember those who have passed on, whether in war or otherwise. O’Fallon’s Memorial Day services will be held on Monday, May 28th at 9 a.m. at O’Fallon City Cemetery, 601 North Oak Street. A program will also be held at the O’Fallon Veteran’s Monument, 737 East Wesley, at 11:30 a.m. on May 28th to recognize the newly inscribed names on the monument.
If you aren’t able to attend these ceremonies, I encourage you to pause for a moment of silence sometime on Monday, May 28th to show respect for those who have gone before us. The compassion and respect that our residents exhibit towards one another is yet another example of why O’Fallon is such a great community in which to live.
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