Safe Travels Urged Over the July 4 Holiday Weekend

Communities across the state of Kansas are preparing for their annual Independence Day celebrations. Families are packing up items for road trips. Others are planning for get-togethers. Whatever your plans are for the July 4 holiday, the Kansas Highway Patrol is wishing everyone a safe and happy 4th of July. There are things for people of all ages to take into account to improve their safety during Independence Day weekend.

Holiday weekends bring extra travelers to the roads, and it’s always important that you are cautious and practice defensive driving. Extreme weather can be harsh on vehicles. You should ensure that your car is adequately prepared and serviced for the trip. There are some things a driver can easily check to help ensure a safer trip: engine air filter, windshield washer fluid, tire pressure, tire tread, battery, engine coolant, and windshield wiper blades. Identify repair shops that are near where you are traveling, in the event you have a problem, you will know where to go. Additionally, you should check your route of travel ahead of time for current road work and other problems you may encounter. To check roadwork in Kansas and other states, go to: www.kandrive.org. If you should need assistance while you are on a highway in Kansas, you can dial *HP (*47) from a cell phone to reach the Highway Patrol, or *KTA (*582) for the Kansas Turnpike Authority.

Holiday celebrations are often paired with drinking. It’s imperative to ensure you have a sober designated driver beforehand if you will be consuming alcoholic beverages at any party or event. If you do plan to drive, make sure you don’t drink, and take plenty of non-alcoholic alternatives with you. Law enforcement will be working the road this holiday weekend, and will be strictly enforcing the DUI laws. If you feel “buzzed,” don’t risk it, find a sober ride home instead.

The consequences of impaired driving can affect you for the rest of your life. You can injure or kill yourself or others if you drive impaired. Oftentimes, innocent motorists die at the hands of an impaired driver. Always use a sober designated driver or don’t consume alcoholic beverages and drive.

During the 2008 4th of July reporting period (78 hours-Running from 6:00 p.m. Thurs., July 3, until 12:00 midnight Sun., July 6), there were two fatal crashes, both of which were alcohol-related. Two people were killed in those crashes. There were 425 total crashes that weekend, 128 of which were injury crashes (207 people injured). There were 41 total alcohol-related crashes, which injured 32 people.

With a busy holiday weekend on the roads, its important motorists remember, and adhere to Kansas occupant protection laws. With the passage of Kansas’ new primary seatbelt law, all vehicle occupants are required to be buckled up, and children are required to be in the proper child safety seats. Drivers can now be pulled over if either them, their front seat passengers, or children are not properly restrained.