Why you should expect more police patrols for Independence Day

TOPEKA (KSNT) - You can expect more law enforcement patrols on the roads for the Fourth of July holiday. 

27 News spoke with Lt. Roy Wise of the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) about what they are doing to enforce safety during the holiday. 

"The Kansas Highway Patrol, along with other law enforcement agencies, are going to have a lot of extra law enforcement officers on the roadway," Wise said. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 2,000 people died in accidents during the Fourth of July holiday between 2018 and 2022. A total of 39% of those drivers killed were drunk. 

"Looking for things like impaired drivers, those who are excessively speeding and the folks that are wearing their seatbelts," Wise said.

If you are heading on a holiday trip or staying local, the highway patrol said you can check out kandrive.gov before you head out or call 511. The site lists all of the construction and traffic issues across the state.

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