Stepped-up law enforcement activities by Troopers of the Wyoming Highway Patrol will be conducted during the national “Operation C.A.R.E.” (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) enforcement mobilization, which this year runs from July 3rd through July 6th.

“Operation C.A.R.E.” is a combined effort by State Police, Highway Patrols and State Patrol law enforcement agencies to deter the three key causes of highway fatalities, particularly during the national holidays: speeding, impaired driving and failure to use occupant restraints.

The designated C.A.R.E. highway for the 4th of July Weekend will be all state roadways within Wyoming. The reporting period for this year will be 0001 hours on Thursday, July 3rd, through 2400 hours on Sunday, July 6th, 2008.

Troopers and Staff will be out patrolling and working overtime during the holiday period. Troopers may work additional hours during a day or a night shift or may work on their day off if the day off occurs during the holiday period. The overtime monies to pay for the overtime have been secured for the Patrol by the WYDOT Highway Safety Program and will come from a Federal Highway 402 Safety grant.

Also, we ask the motoring public to support local law enforcement efforts during the Independence Day holiday period by utilizing the Wyoming Highway Patrol’s REDDI (Report Every Drunk Driver Immediately) toll free number to make the report of a suspected impaired driver. The toll free number will put the caller in touch with a Wyoming Highway Patrol Dispatcher to relay the reported information to a Trooper on the road. The number is 800-442-9090 and is manned by a dispatcher 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Last year during the Independence Day holiday reporting period there were two fatal crashes with two fatalities reported in the State of Wyoming. The fatal crashes occurred on county roads in Natrona and Sweetwater Counties. Troopers conducted 45 DWUI arrests and investigated 86 traffic collisions.