The Fourth of July is best known for celebrations with family and friends, enjoying the summer weather with food and drinks. Those celebrations often include drinking alcohol which can lead to impaired driving and the legalization of fireworks in the state adds an additional potential threat.

To help protect Iowans, state and local law enforcement agencies will step up their efforts July 1st through Tuesday, July 4th to eliminate drunk drivers on the roads and reduce speeding.

The increased enforcement is made possible by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau which provides funding through their special Traffic Enforcement Program (sTEP) so that officers and deputies can have an increased presence around the holidays.