‘All hands on deck’: Extra patrols for July 4 safety

*Above video: Most dangerous highways in Ohio*

CLEVELAND (WJW) — The Ohio State Highway Patrol said “it’s all hands on deck” for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, which runs Wednesday through Sunday.

Many local cities and state troopers want to reduce accidents and fatal crashes on roads and highways during what is a five-day holiday weekend this year.

The highway patrol isn’t approving vacation time for troopers in that time frame so that extra troopers can increase patrols, especially cracking down on speeding, and keeping an eye out for impaired drivers, officials said.

More than three dozen people were killed in crashes on Ohio roads during the July 4th weekends between 2021 and 2023.

The Stark County Sheriff’s Department will also have increased enforcement Independence Day weekend and all of July, “to strictly enforce the laws concerning speed and seat belt enforcement,” officials said.

Elyria police are also increasing traffic safety enforcement for the long holiday weekend.

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