LIMA, OH (WLIO) - As the Fourth of July weekend approaches, the Ohio State Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to be cautious while traveling.
According to AAA, an estimated 2.3 million Ohioans will be traveling more than 50 miles away from their homes, which is a 4% increase from last year. Nationwide, AAA projects that a record-breaking 50.7 million Americans will be traveling for the holiday weekend. The previous record was set in 2019 with 49 million travelers. With the expected surge in traffic, the Ohio Highway Patrol wants to emphasize the importance of safety for all motorists to ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday.
"Avoid drinking while you're driving, or avoid having any kind of distractions in the car, cell phones, and things like that. Obviously, wear your seatbelt that way if you are in a crash then that will make it to where you might not see serious injury or injury at all by wearing the seatbelt. When you're traveling, you might see fireworks displays that are happening, not just the ones that towns put on, but also people in their yards, and that can be a distraction as well," said Lt. Alec Coil, Ohio State Highway Patrol of the Lima Post.
If you plan to travel by car on Friday, avoiding the roads between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. is best. On Saturday, AAA recommends avoiding driving around 1:00 pm. Although there should be little traffic on Sunday and Monday, expect heavy traffic from noon to 3 pm on July 4th and again on the 5th from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
