Southern Living magazine has declared 2025 “The Year of the Road Trip,” however, it seems like every year is the year of the road trip for folks in the Pacific Northwest.

From RV enthusiasts and boaters to daytrippers, picnickers and festival goers, warmer weather, winding down the school year, and holiday weekends get people out and about on highways and byways in the Grays Harbor region.

The United States is two years beyond the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and travel continues to increase.

“Travelers, especially Millennial and Gen Z, are motivated to book thoughtful, meaningful trips this year,” said Audrey Hendley, president of American Express Travel.

According to IPX1031, a Fidelity National Financial company, “Our new 2025 travel outlook report finds 92% of Americans are planning to hit the road or take to the skies this year. More than half of people across the country are eager to travel more than they did in 2024, with many putting travel as a priority as they plan and budget their finances.”

U.S. Highway 101 winds its way through Washington state, including local urban centers and residential areas such as Aberdeen and Hoquiam, carrying travelers to and from various destinations. With local residents emerging from winter hibernation and an increase in tourist traffic, safety considerations of all types move to the forefront. Also, warmer weather brings a rise in pedestrian and park activity.

“Just slow down. Don’t be in a hurry. Give yourself some time to get where you’re going to be,” said Commander Steve Timmons of the Aberdeen Police Department. “There’s gonna be a lot more people walking, people on bikes, kids out in the residential areas riding bikes. That’s the biggest thing for us, just watch your speed and have your head on a swivel, and just be careful.”

RV and trailer traffic is sure to increase in the coming months as well, especially as people flock to their rented lots along the coast. Recently, a homemade trailer separated from its tow vehicle and caused an injury accident on state Route 109 that resulted in an airlift to a Tacoma hospital.

“Make sure it’s hooked up correctly. Make sure you take your turns a little wider, make sure you slow down making your turns, the shift of the weight of the trailer can obviously (cause it to) tip over, so slow down around corners,” Timmons said. “It comes down to watching your speed, slowing down, and giving yourself plenty of time. That’s what I emphasize, don’t get a rush, give yourself plenty of time to get where you gotta go.”

Another concern as the school year comes to a close and kids head out for summer vacation is the proliferation of a new generation of younger, inexperienced drivers on the road.

“Well, my son being one of them, he has to drive everywhere. They just gotta go do something all the time,” Timmons said. “I know they’re excited. They have that freedom to go and drive around, as long as they’re being careful and not speeding and not being irresponsible. It does add a lot more cars on the road. It’s just having that freedom. It’s exciting.”

Fairs, festivals, outdoor concerts and other community events can stress a police department and Timmons says Aberdeen is no exception.

“It just utilizes a lot of resources, and we don’t really have a ton, so we need to have three or four officers work the streets, so we bring people in,” Timmons said. “It’s a lot to deal with, just to make sure everybody’s safe. We’re out there being visible, getting people to slow down and make sure people are having a safe and enjoyable time. It does take a lot of resources.”

Timmons said interagency cooperation is paramount when it comes to the larger events, but also with the general increase in traffic and activity.

“You always see the State Patrol working the highway with people coming into town, so hopefully it’ll slow people down. Having the relationship we have with other agencies is huge,” Timmons said. “We have no doubt that if we needed more help officers from any of the neighboring agencies would help us out. The sheriff’s office is always one to help out. We’re pretty fortunate to have the relationship we have with other agencies. If anything ever came down, we have no doubt they would be here in a second to help us.”

Alcohol sales and consumption tend to increase with warmer temperatures as people take to their backyards, parks and beaches for recreation and attend social gatherings.

“With the warm weather, our biggest thing is people start drinking. So just the amount of impaired drivers out on the road, we’ll get out looking for that kind of stuff, making sure people aren’t driving under the influence,” Timmons said. “So, that’s one of our biggest things. Once we get into the summer months, the nice weather, the alcohol consumption seems to go up, that’s what we focus on.”

The Aberdeen Police Department recently received a grant that allows a dedicated officer, Dillon Mitchell, to focus solely on drinking and driving enforcement.

“We were one of two agencies in the state of Washington to get a grant through the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission. They are paying the wages and benefits through 2027 for one of our officers to be a dedicated DUI officer,” Timmons said. “His sole purpose, 44 hours a week, is to go out and look for DUIs. Doesn’t take calls. He’s on the road, he’s finding DUIs. His hours will shift based on need. It’s going to help us having his position available to do that and hopefully make things a lot safer for everybody. I think he got six DUIs in the first three days. We’ll catch all those people driving impaired that we wouldn’t have caught before. So it’s going to hopefully make things a lot safer for the community. The community is lucky to have him, because he’s like a magnet to DUIs.”

Warmer weather also brings more construction projects and infrastructure improvements and the Grays Harbor region has plenty planned. Once again, Timmons says to mind your speed and be on the lookout when going through those areas.

“The biggest thing is just don’t be in a hurry. Slow down as you go through construction zones,” Timmons said. “My biggest thing I can emphasize is just don’t be in a hurry. Just slow down and make sure everyone’s safe. Give yourself plenty of time to get where you need to go.”

The bottom line when it comes to spring and summer safety according to Timmons: “Don’t drink and drive. Don’t get behind the wheel if you’re under the influence. We see a lot more of that in the summertime. That’s gonna be a big priority for us this summer.”