LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - The Ohio State Highway Patrol is reminding you to have a safe and responsible Fourth of July weekend.
According to state highway patrol officials, officers will be highly visible and out in full force for the holiday weekend cracking down on impaired and distracted drivers. The patrol's zero-tolerance policy is part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign aimed at removing impaired drivers from roadways.
Many Fourth of July celebrations involve alcohol, and troopers want residents to enjoy their Independence Day celebrations safely and responsibly, but warn against impaired driving.
"We're expecting to see an increase in traffic this Fourth of July holiday weekend, so what we're going to do, we're going to be posting some overtime, having a lot more units out there," said Lt. Nick Boes of the Lima Post of the OSHP. "Our number one objective is to get everyone home safely, and so we want people driving safe, and we're going to enforce a law. We're going to be looking for those distracted drivers. If you're out in the road, drive safe."
During the 2024 Fourth of July reporting period, a total of 16 fatal crashes killed 18 people in the state of Ohio. Eight of those 16 crashes involved alcohol or drugs.
