Fourth of July most dangerous holiday for driving

Increased traffic causes more crashes, injury and fatalities said MODOT’s Mike Belt.

He said MODOT expects an even higher amount of people on the roads this year with Independence Day falling in the middle of the week.

“We expect travel to be maybe a bit heavier than normal just because people are taking the opportunity to take the week off and travel further distances,” Belt said.

MODOT prepared the roads for drivers by reducing work zones to a bare minimum.

Belt said it’s important for people to remain alert, wear a seat belt and put their phone down.

MODOT also recommends drivers leave plenty of space between their vehicle and the vehicle driving in front of them to reduce the risk of colliding.