(Atlantic) The National Highway Traffic Administration deemed July 3 through July 7 as a Special Traffic Enforcement Program. Law enforcement officers will be patrolling all of the roadways throughout the state.
Iowa State Patrol Trooper and Public Information Officer Shelby McCreedy warn driver’s law enforcement will be looking for alcohol, drug, or any impairment. McCreedy says seatbelt usage and speeding will also be priorities. “The July 4th holiday in Iowa has been good over the last several years,” said McCreedy.
One alcohol-related fatal accident occurred in 2018, and in 2019 five people died on Iowa’s roadways, and three involving alcohol. McCreedy says nationwide, 71-percent of impaired drivers taken off the road over the July 4th weekend tested over twice the legal limit for alcohol. “Those impaired drivers are well over the legal limit,” said McCreedy. “So people planning on traveling the roadways need to be aware there are dangers that exist.”
In addition to highway safety, Trooper McCreedy reminds people heading to the lake to be aware that operating any boat or watercraft under the influence is too dangerous and criminal.
