With the fourth of July this weekend, you are sure to see plenty of red, white and blue, but motorists will also be seeing red and blue flashing lights on state troopers cars.

The fourth of July is one of the deadliest holidays to travel.
In order to help travelers get to their destinations safely, the Illinois Department of Transportation is going to get out of the way.

"Here in the Peoria area, all the projects will be on hold over the weekend. That will vary throughout the state. There are some areas where the work will either be continuing or where lane closures will still be in effect, so again be aware when you're driving if you're going state wide this weekend, be alert for that," said Brian Williamsen, IDOT spokesperson.

Even though IDOT is accommodating travelers, some might find themselves staying close to home.

With ongoing uncertainty about the strength of the economy and sagging unemployment, AAA Chicago is expecting to see a slight decrease in travel across the state compared to last year.
Even so, the Illinois Department of Transportation is prepared.

State police are urging travelers to buckle up, do not follow other vehicles too closely and most importantly, do not drink and drive.

"It seems like there's always a sad story that you can find somewhere where an impaired driver hit an innocent family, killed a family member.
We want people to be conscious of that. Decisions have consequences and we just ask everybody to stay safe this weekend. If you've been drinking don't drive and maintain a safe following distance. Take your time, arrive at your destination safely," said Sergeant Jason Bevard of the Illinois State Police.

And State police will be watching and manning random check points to catch drivers breaking the law.