MADISON, Wis. — From the Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw in Prairie du Sac to the Northwoods Bad-Dash Mud Run in Manitowish Waters to the Riverfront Jazz Festival in Stevens Point, there are a lot of things to see and do this Labor Day weekend. Before hitting the road, ReadyWisconsin offers these tips to help you have a safe holiday weekend.

“Despite the flooding this summer in southeast and western Wisconsin, all major roadways are open,” said Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, Wisconsin’s adjutant general and Homeland Security advisor. “Make safety your first priority, plan extra travel time to compensate for heavy holiday weekend traffic.”

For up-to-date road information and traffic backups, visit www.511wi.gov, download the free mobile app or follow @511WI on Twitter.

Here are some other holiday weekend travel tips:

  • Schedule your road trip at times to help avoid the holiday travel madness. Leaving before rush hour Friday or early Saturday morning and driving back Monday before 4 p.m. or after 10 p.m. should make for less traffic hassles.
  • When traveling to and from a holiday destination, never leave people or pets inside a parked car. Even with the windows cracked open, temperatures inside a vehicle can reach 100 degrees in less than 10 minutes on an average summer day.
  • Make sure your car is in shape to make the trip. Having a first-aid kit, bottled water and some energy bars is a good idea in case you get stranded. A car adaptor for your cell phone is also a good idea in case you need to call for help.
  • If you are planning on barbequing, never leave the grill unattended and have a fire extinguisher available.

Tuesday Reminder: Students across Wisconsin go back to school. Watch for kids walking and biking to school. Vehicles approaching a stopped school bus displaying flashing red warning lights must stop not less than 20 feet from the bus and remain stopped until the bus resumes motion or the operator turns off the flashing red warning lights.

For more safety tips including how to build an emergency kit for your home and vehicles, visit ReadyWisconsin at https://readywisconsin.wi.gov.