KELSO, Wash. — Rolling along the freeways, traffic is about half of normal on a weekday like this.
Some drivers are taking advantage of that and breaking the speed limit.
Among the speeds captured on Washington State troopers' radar guns along Interstate 5: 105 mph in the Salmon Creek area in broad daylight and 112 mph on a quiet night up near Kelso.
Troopers are warning those tempted to drive at high speeds, to slow way down, or risk a hefty fine, or worse.
"In times like this we have to remember we still need to be concerned and operating our motor vehicles safely while we’re out there on the roadway," said WSP Trooper Will Finn. "Just because it appears to be an Autobahn situation doesn’t mean we should treat it as such."
Add to the equation, more motorcycle riders. It's that time of year that they come out, and riders may have more time on their hands these day to hit the road.
"Every April when we see motorcycles start to come out on the roadway go find those big parking lots and refamiliarize yourself with the motorcycle. Learn how it feels, don’t be overconfident in your abilities," said Finn.
Of course the same speed limits apply to motorcycles.
So no matter where we're going, police remind us to follow the rules, open roads or not.
"The speedometer is probably the safest piece of equipment next to your seat belt inside your vehicle, it tells you how fast you’re going so let’s pay attention to that," said Finn.
And Trooper Finn adds, that if we have to drive we should be staying pretty close to our neighborhood; it's still not time to take a road trip.