No matter how far you may drive over the holiday weekend, whether it's a road trip or to your local festival, drivers are urged to make smart decisions when getting behind the wheel. Last year, the Ohio State Highway Patrol reported 25 fatalities from crashes over the 4th of July holiday. This year, they will be cracking down on dangerous driving over the long weekend.
Lieutenant Tim Grigsby with the OSHP Lima Post says on top of their typical drunk driving concerns, roadway congestion is another issue. With an estimated two million Ohioans on the road this weekend, he recommends drivers stay away from crowded areas if they are not attending.
"The major thing, especially with Sunday's fireworks over by the mall, if you're not going into that area for the fireworks, stay away from it," Grigsby advises. "It's going to be very congested. For about an hour after the fireworks we're going to have a lot of resources out there trying to make sure that we get people out of that parking area."
Lt. Grigsby says the patrol's zero-tolerance policy on not wearing seatbelts and driving under the influence will be highly in effect this weekend too.
"It's one of those things, because it's causing injuries and death, we're going to have a zero tolerance on it," says Grigsby. "If we stop you and you're impaired, you're going to get arrested. If we stop you and you're not wearing your seatbelt, you're going to get a ticket."
From Friday until Monday evening, troopers will be highly visible and placed in busy areas to watch for reckless driving.
