AUGUSTA (AP) – State police are mounting an annual campaign that is anything but routine.

Troopers, as usual, plan to bracket the Fourth of July holiday with stepped-up enforcement initiatives aimed at bolstering highway safety.

The plan will rely in part on airplanes and unmarked cruisers, and the crackdown is slated to start this weekend and run through next week, according to officials.

Giving the yearly program special urgency is a start statistic: Maine highway deaths are up 22 percent from last year.

Col. Craig Poulin, chief of the state police, said in a statement Wednesday that Maine’s highway death toll stands at 83, compared to 68 last year.

“July and August are Maine’s deadliest months for highway deaths and state troopers will be increasing their efforts this summer looking for aggressive and impaired drivers and enforcing Maine’s seat belt and child safety seat laws,” he said.

Poulin said the upcoming holiday enforcement drive will focus on high crash and violation areas and that extra troopers will concentrate on the turnpike and interstate highway as well as on several secondary roads identified as problem areas.

Fourth of July week is one of the busiest on Maine roads and officials said six people died on state roads during the three-day holiday weekend last year.

“Troopers will be making efforts for a safe week and to keep traffic moving. Motorists can do their part by taking their time, driving responsibly and courteously, and anticipating possible delays,” Poulin said.

Motorists are being advised to be well rested and urged to avoid drinking and driving, to use their seat belts and to expect some delays because of the increased traffic.

State Fire Marshal John Dean said earlier this week his investigators will be busy during the holiday week enforcing Maine’s fireworks laws.

Dean said investigators will be working at public gatherings looking for individual fireworks violations.

Maine is only one of seven states to ban all consumer fireworks.