DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — While some are preparing to wind down for the weekend, others will be making their way to Daytona Beach for the first day of this year’s Bike Week.

City crews have been doing last minute touch-ups for the event since the early hours of Friday morning.

When it comes to large events like Bike Week that garner hundreds of thousands of people and motorcyclists from all over, it is important to keep safety top of mind.

Those taking Interstate 4 to get to Daytona Beach will notice Bike Week-related messages on the overhead electronic signs, essentially telling drivers to be mindful of motorcycles on the road.

It’s a point that Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood emphasized as well, saying it is important that everyone, from locals to visitors, be aware of their surroundings because the roads will be more crowded than usual.

To help ensure a safe Bike Week and alleviate traffic disruptions, Chitwood says his team of officers is going to be ramping up their efforts and utilizing technology.

“We’ll do it on U.S. 1 in particular. If you don’t have a driver’s license, your license is suspended, your vehicle’s not registered, no insurance, we wrote 900 tickets I think up there last year on U.S. 1 just using technology,” says Chitwood.

Chitwood adds they will be paying close attention to DUIs to prevent any accidents from occurring.

This year’s event is expected to bring more than 500,000 people, from motorcyclists and motorcycle enthusiasts, to Volusia County for the 84th anniversary. The event will take place from Feb. 28 to March 9.

The state’s law enforcement expects it will be a gradual process with numbers ramping up over the next few days, with a likely peak by next Friday.