- April 17, 2024
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In preparation for a weekend that will likely be full of drinking, explosives and large crowds, local and state officials have issued statements urging people to stay safe in the days leading up to the Fourth of July.
According to the National Safety Council, preventable deaths each year are at an all-time high, and Florida ranks 40th in safety among the states. This Fourth of July, the Council anticipates almost 600 deaths in the U.S. from traffic crashes alone between Friday, July 30 and midnight Tuesday, July 4.
And that number doesn’t include deaths from other forms of accidental injury, like drowning.
That’s why the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department, as well as the Florida Highway Patrol, have provided a litany of safety tips for residents to keep themselves and each other safe this holiday.
Notably, the Sheriff’s Office recommends parents or people with small children take a photo that shows what they look like and what they’re wearing, should the child get lost. This will help authorities find the child faster. The same could also apply to elderly relatives.
They also suggest having a plan for parking before you head out to watch public fireworks displays.
The Sarasota Fire Department suggests going to see public fireworks displays, as fireworks that explode or leave the ground are illegal in Florida. And according to a release from the department, fireworks account for almost 150,000 fires annually, and more than half of the ones that happen on July 4.
While fireworks are illegal, sparklers and other novelty items that could be purchased at a typical grocery store are permitted.
FHP urges those who will be drinking to designate a sober driver before heading out. Fourth of July is one of the busiest travel times of the year, and preliminary data from last year shows eight people died in 837 crashes on the holiday.