Officials urge caution on roads, lakes, with fireworks
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
The Fourth of July holiday is right around the corner, and with it comes safety concerns.
From fireworks to boating and driving, extra caution should be exercised when enjoying the holiday weekend.
"We are just asking people to use basic common sense," said Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine. "Follow safety procedures."
Dry grass and fireworks don't mix. With recent dry conditions, people who choose to use fireworks should use extreme caution.
"Fireworks laws are a muddy mess, and the legislature failed to clean them up in the most recent session," said Rovenstine. "It is difficult to enforce fireworks laws, but we try. Our best advice is to use common sense: if kids are using fireworks, make sure they are supervised.
"Don't shoot bottle rockets into other people's property; and the grass is very dry so be careful with fire."
Those who plan to spend the weekend on the lake should expect to see lake patrol officers out in full force.
"Our lake officers will be out on Tippecanoe and Wawasee," said Rovenstine. "If you have any questions about boating safety, just ask those folks."
People also should expect to see more traffic on the lakes over the holiday weekend.
"Be aware that the lakes, as hot as it is, will be busy," Rovenstine said. "We are anticipating a very busy weekend. Be considerate to your neighbors and our guests from other locations who come to the lakes. Follow the rules and laws for boating, especially flotation devices and the number of people in boats."
Along with increased traffic on the lakes, the traffic on the highways will increase as well.
"Roads will be busy," said Rovenstine. "Be patient. As always, we are telling people to allow extra time and slow down. Be courteous.
"There will be a lot of road construction going on, so know your routes and where you are going. With the construction, there will be lot of secondary roads that are not really normally used for heavy traffic, so be careful on those."
Between today and Monday, the Indiana State Police will have 150 extra officers on the roads to enforce safety projects such as Operation Combined Accident Reduction Effort, Statewide Driving Under the Influence Project and Operation Pull Over. Troopers will be working during the holiday weekend using both marked and unmarked vehicles along with the new motorcycle fleet and department aircraft.
Troopers will be watching for all traffic violations, especially motorists and passengers who are not properly restrained. Last year, 19 people died on Indiana's roadways over the Fourth of July holiday. Indiana State Police crash reports show that 50 percent of the people killed on Hoosier roads who were not wearing their seat belts would have survived if they were buckled up. [[In-content Ad]]
The Fourth of July holiday is right around the corner, and with it comes safety concerns.
From fireworks to boating and driving, extra caution should be exercised when enjoying the holiday weekend.
"We are just asking people to use basic common sense," said Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine. "Follow safety procedures."
Dry grass and fireworks don't mix. With recent dry conditions, people who choose to use fireworks should use extreme caution.
"Fireworks laws are a muddy mess, and the legislature failed to clean them up in the most recent session," said Rovenstine. "It is difficult to enforce fireworks laws, but we try. Our best advice is to use common sense: if kids are using fireworks, make sure they are supervised.
"Don't shoot bottle rockets into other people's property; and the grass is very dry so be careful with fire."
Those who plan to spend the weekend on the lake should expect to see lake patrol officers out in full force.
"Our lake officers will be out on Tippecanoe and Wawasee," said Rovenstine. "If you have any questions about boating safety, just ask those folks."
People also should expect to see more traffic on the lakes over the holiday weekend.
"Be aware that the lakes, as hot as it is, will be busy," Rovenstine said. "We are anticipating a very busy weekend. Be considerate to your neighbors and our guests from other locations who come to the lakes. Follow the rules and laws for boating, especially flotation devices and the number of people in boats."
Along with increased traffic on the lakes, the traffic on the highways will increase as well.
"Roads will be busy," said Rovenstine. "Be patient. As always, we are telling people to allow extra time and slow down. Be courteous.
"There will be a lot of road construction going on, so know your routes and where you are going. With the construction, there will be lot of secondary roads that are not really normally used for heavy traffic, so be careful on those."
Between today and Monday, the Indiana State Police will have 150 extra officers on the roads to enforce safety projects such as Operation Combined Accident Reduction Effort, Statewide Driving Under the Influence Project and Operation Pull Over. Troopers will be working during the holiday weekend using both marked and unmarked vehicles along with the new motorcycle fleet and department aircraft.
Troopers will be watching for all traffic violations, especially motorists and passengers who are not properly restrained. Last year, 19 people died on Indiana's roadways over the Fourth of July holiday. Indiana State Police crash reports show that 50 percent of the people killed on Hoosier roads who were not wearing their seat belts would have survived if they were buckled up. [[In-content Ad]]