(MSC News)--As Missourians hit the road for summer travel, starting this Memorial Day weekend, the Missouri Department of Transportation is urging drivers to be cautious and patient and use good judgment when traveling. A release from the agency calls impaired driving, distracted driving, excessive speeds, and not wearing seat belts “just a few of the concerns that can accompany the increased Memorial Day weekend traffic.”

State Highway Safety and Traffic Engineer Nicole Hood, in the release, says that with Memorial Day largely being the start of the summer travel season, more people will be hitting the roads, meaning that “staying alert and focused when behind the wheel is what keeps your family and other families safe,”

Last year in Missouri, the release notes, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 13 people were killed and 67 were seriously injured in crashes over the Memorial Day weekend.

Hood, in the release, says such “fatalities are almost always preventable, and there are easy, simple actions we can all take to end them,” reminding driver to “buckle up, put down your phone, slow down, and never drive impaired, especially when encountering work zones.”

Along with increased summer traffic, there- also increased work zones, with the release saying that on “any day in Missouri there are more than 1,000 work zones for road and bridge construction or maintenance work,” adding that “drivers can stay informed of work zone locations and traffic delays on MoDOT- Traveler Information Map” at traveler.modot.org, which is also available as a free mobile app for Apple and Android devices.

Some major Missouri work zones, with permanent lane closures, will remain in place for the holiday weekend.