State Police Prepare for July 4 Holiday Weekend Enforcement

Middletown, CT (July 1, 2026) – Fireworks, barbeques, beaches…. and traffic. While residents get ready for the upcoming Independence Day weekend, your Connecticut State Troopers are preparing for more vehicles on the roadways of our state.

July 4^th falls in the middle of the holiday weekend and Troopers expect traffic to increase accordingly by the evening of Thursday, July 2, and continue through the evening of Sunday, July 5. 

This weekend, as always, Troopers will work consistently toward preventing accidents on Connecticut roads and highways. Troopers remind drivers that obeying the rules of the road is everyone’s responsibility: buckle up, adhere to the speed limit, put down cell phones, and please concentrate on the primary job when behind the wheel - driving.

Utilizing lawful driving skills and planning for traffic delays due to traffic and road construction will go a long way in keeping roads free of hazards. Safety should be every driver’s top priority when behind the wheel to ensure safe travel to and from all destinations.

A reminder that Connecticut’s “Move Over” law requires motorists approaching stationary vehicles to immediately slow to a speed below the posted speed limit and, if traveling in the lane adjacent to a stationary vehicle, to move over one lane, unless it is unreasonable or unsafe to do so. 

If you plan to consume alcohol or use cannabis to celebrate our nation’s 250^th birthday, then please designate a driver or utilize a rideshare. None of wants this holiday to turn into a tragedy. If you are on the road and suspect an impaired driver, please call 911, as this is a true emergency.

“We count on the motoring public to be our partners in road safety. During this holiday weekend and all summer long, we expect traffic delays. Travelers should be prepared for delays and plan accordingly,” said State Police Colonel Daniel Loughman, Commanding Officer of the Connecticut State Police. “Let’s keep drivers, passengers and first responders as safe as possible on state roads.”

During Independence Day Weekend 2026, motorists should be aware that Connecticut State Troopers will employ all methods of enforcement to increase highway safety, including laser units for speed enforcement, as well as marked & unmarked, non-traditional police vehicles to patrol roadways.

The following are Independence Day Weekend traffic statistics for 2025; these reflect the time period 12 a.m. on July 3, 2025, and ending at 11:59 pm, on July 6, 2025.

Calls for service: 5,110

Total Traffic Stops: 1,219

Traffic Services (Where CSP provided traffic related services such as debris removal, assisting with disabled or hazardous motor vehicles etc.): 528

DUI: 29

Motor vehicle crashes: 330

with injuries: 35

with fatal injuries: 3 (7/4 - Southbury, 7/4 - Prospect, 7/6 - Southbury)