JULY FOURTH: Troopers urge safety on the roads

Published 8:00 am Thursday, June 28, 2018

A week ahead of the July Fourth holiday, state troopers reminded drivers Wednesday to be safe during the holiday travel period.

Eight traffic deaths occurred during the July Fourth holiday period in 2017. In seven of those crashes, seat belts were not used.

As of Monday, troopers had investigated 273 traffic deaths this year. Of that number, 236 were traveling in vehicles equipped with seat belts but only 88 were buckled up at the time of the crash.

“For this Fourth of July, we encourage motorists and passengers to Buckle Up — no matter how short the drive,” said a release from troopers. “Slow down and obey the speed limits. Focus on driving by putting aside cell phones and other items that may distract you. If you plan on consuming alcohol preplan for a designated driver, call Uber or a cab. Alabama State Troopers will be aggressively enforcing violations to ensure safe travels.”

A dangerous travel time

Personal finance website ValuePenguin released a report naming the July Fourth holiday as the third most-dangerous in terms of fatal car accidents. An average of 307 fatal accidents were reported during the July Fourth travel period between the years of 2011-2015. The deadliest city for traffic crashes was Houston, Texas.

The data was based on the National Traffic and Highway Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System.