For some people in the area, the party starts now.

Independence Day has become a 10-day event. There are two weekends attached to it, with lots of traveling, eating, imbibing and fireworks.

An accident waiting to happen.

We’ll start behind the wheel.

Over the three-day Memorial Day holiday the Pennsylvania State Police investigated 756 crashes that resulted in 181 injuries and six fatalities.

Intoxicated driving was a factor in 46 of those crashes, one of which was fatal.

Troopers arrested 467 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and issued 28,036 citations, including: 8,834 for speeding.

They also cited 1,234 for failing to wear a seat belt and 172 for not securing children in safety seats. Those are no-brainers but it still happens.

On the local front, Troop N, which includes Carbon and Monroe counties, state police recorded 40 crashes, one of which was a fatality.

Eleven people were injured in crashes. One was a DUI crash. Through enforcement, there were 55 DUI arrests.

Local police were also on duty, facing some of the same issues.

With 10 whole days to get in trouble, everything is magnified. The PA Turnpike projects more than 5.62 million motorists will be traveling the turnpike from last Friday through Sunday, July 7. This is 3% more than last year’s traffic tally during the same 10-day holiday period last year.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation data, in 2023 there were 38 alcohol-related crashes from July 4 through 6 a.m. July 5, resulting in two fatalities and 23 injuries. During the same time, there were 10 drug-related crashes, resulting in one fatality and eight injuries.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says from 2018 to 2022, there were 2,228 people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes over the Fourth of July holiday period - 39% of the drivers killed were drunk.

We join police in asking people to make smart choices and celebrate safely.

That brings us to fireworks.

The National Safety Council says every year, thousands of people are injured badly enough to require medical treatment after fireworks-related incidents.

Even sparklers can cause injury.

Sparklers burn at about 2,000 degrees - hot enough to melt some metals. Sparklers can quickly ignite clothing, and children have received severe burns from dropping sparklers on their feet.

Here are a couple of common sense tips:

Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol. We’re pretty sure this happens.

Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eye wear. We’re pretty sure that doesn’t happen.

Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks.

Keep a bucket of water close by in case a spark goes awry. And use it please. An average of 19,000 fires are started each year from fireworks.

Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding.

Here’s one the National Safety Council won’t tell you. Be courteous. Set off the fireworks early, before working people have to go to bed.

That will cut down on complaints to police and keep peace with the neighbors.

And for those neighbors, you know fireworks will happen, be prepared.

A quick tip for dog lovers. If your dog is scared of fireworks, the American Kennel Club suggests setting up an area in a quiet space away from windows, such as a basement or a larger closet, so that they can’t hear or see fireworks.

Try leaving a fan, TV, or sound machine on to help mask the sounds of the fireworks.

Except for the tips about protecting the dog, you’ve heard it all before. Use common sense. Make smart choices.

That’s the best way to have a good holiday week.

MARTA GOUGER | MGOUGER@TNONLINE.COM