Thousands of Albertans will get into thousands of cars and trucks and motorhomes to drive thousands of kilometres to holiday destinations and back this Heritage Day long weekend.

That's prompting the usual call from RCMP in Alberta to drive carefully and make it a safe weekend for all.  This time though, Constable Mike Hibbs of Alberta RCMP Traffic Services has a special message aimed at young drivers.  Hibbs says if you're just in the process of honing your skills on the road, a holiday weekend might not be the best time to practice driving.

"Young drivers are probably first time drivers who just got their license this year or last year and are not really used to highway driving or really busy, busy traffic areas so we're just reminding the young folks to reduce their speed, make sure you drive within the speed limit, don't be distracted when you drive and get the experience you need to drive but do it safely."

Hibbs says aggressive driving can be a real problem with the number of RVs that are on the road on holiday weekends.  He says patience and timing are both important virtues.

"If you have to be at a certain destination at a certain time then maybe give yourself a little extra time to get on the road and get started, maybe before the main traffic rush, the mid-afternoon or early lunchtime before people start hitting the road.  If you can get away a couple of hours early you should do that.  If not, just sit back and enjoy our beautiful province and all the great scenery."

Hibbs says speeding, tailgating, cutting off other drivers, road raging and stunting are behaviours that put you and others at risk.

Hibbs also lists some common sense rules such as always applying the same sensible safety rules to all vehicles, including recreational ones, keeping your eyes and attention on the road, and don't drink and operate a vehicle or boat.

On every holiday weekend, the RCMP and Alberta Sheriffs conduct more Check Stops in an effort to keep Alberta roads and highways safe.

For more ways to be safe while driving this summer, follow the RCMP's #SummerSafety tips on Facebook @RCMPinAlberta and Twitter @RCMPAlberta.

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