Idaho State Police warn drivers to be cautious for 4th of July weekend

Drunk driving, speeding and inattentive driving are all things police warn drivers against all the time. But Idaho State Police said when people are celebrating on a holiday weekend, caution often goes out the window.

Sergeant Todd Orr with Idaho State Police District 5 said so far this holiday, there hasn’t been anything out of the ordinary, just what officers are used to on holidays.

“We’re seeing the increased traffic like we always do,” Orr said. “As far as DUI’s, we’re seeing some of the impaired driving issues that we tend to see.”

Orr said all of ISP’s teams, including emphasis patrols, are out in full force this weekend to enforce traffic laws. He said they hope on holidays a heavier ISP presence can help discourage some traffic violations.

Orr said people get excited for the holiday weekend and forget the basic rules of the road. He said it’s those basics that keep people safe.

“The real simple thing is when you come in to slow down, give yourself more time to get to where you’re going because everybody else is going to these firework shows and stuff too,” Orr said. “Stay off your phones. Don’t follow so close. We’re starting to see that a lot more, the aggressive driving. People trying to get in and out of traffic, weaving through traffic.”

Orr said things like aggressive driving and speeding are more frequent during holidays, but police still see a pretty big increase of it all summer. He said when temperatures increase, so does the speed of drivers.

He also had one more piece of advice for those traveling a lot this summer.

“Make sure you go out, check your tires, make sure everything is up to speed in your vehicle,” Orr said. “And it doesn’t hurt to have some water in your vehicle. Have that kind of emergency stuff in case your vehicle does break down out here. Out here on the interstate it could be anywhere from 90 to 110 degrees.”

Orr wants to remind drivers to be extra alert and cautious around the holiday. He said it varies every year, but they expect to still see a pretty big traffic increase on Tuesday and possibly Wednesday as people head back to work. So he wants to remind drivers to keep that in mind as they travel for the holiday.