Safe Travels for the 4th of July

Zanesville, OH- The 4th of July is right around the corner and just like any holiday that means increased travel on the roads.

As families prepare to hit the road for fireworks, barbecues and beach trips, official urge drivers to be extra cautious. The Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio State Highway Patrol are working together to spread safety reminders ahead of the holiday weekend.

“A lot of our messaging to drivers is the same as you’re hearing from others, law enforcement, highway patrol. We want to make sure people get to their destinations safely so making sure you’re buckled up, obeying the speed limit, driving sober, focusing on the road and not distracted,” explained ODOT Press Secretary Matt Bruning. “Those are the things we’re going to be reminding people through social media, through our digital message board, over the weekend to make sure you get to your destination safely.”

Bruning said ODOT crews will suspend most construction projects to help ease congestion, but with millions expected to travel, backups are still likely.

“Obviously with increased traffic there may be slowdowns,” said Public Information Officer for the Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Brice Nihiser. “You may not be getting to where you want to go as quickly as you want to, we just want to remind everyone that we’re all in this together out on the roadway. You speeding or taking aggressive actions out on the road isn’t going to get you any further ahead than someone else and ultimately it puts yourself in danger, it puts others in danger we just need to make sure we’re all on the road behaving responsibly and that’s going to be the best way for everybody to stay safe.”

Whether you’re traveling near or far, safety experts say a little patience and preparation can go a long way in keeping your holiday weekend from ending in tragedy.