Labor Day is often the last hurrah of summer. Sure, there is no snow or icy roads in the foreseeable forecast, but the hours of daylight have begun to erode, school has begun, and you the first Halloween displays have showed up. But this weekend still promises temps in the upper 80s, which feels like summer.

But Labor Day weekend also promises something else: car accidents and drunk driving deaths. And because of that risk, law enforcement across the Missouri will be working together to present an aggressive campaign to stop and arrest drunk drivers.

Drivers will see extra patrols on I-70, I-44 and many state highways. There will also be sobriety checkpoints as part of Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, a nationwide enforcement program to help reduced the more than 10,000 people who die in fatal motor vehicle accidents that occur every year.

The safety campaign will also target seat belt law violations and speeding. A sobriety checkpoint permits police to stop vehicles on a road and allows the officer or state trooper an opportunity to check the driver for signs of impairment.

In 2012, there were 206 alcohol-related fatal motor vehicle crashes, which killed 214 people. The statistic that is frightening is the 2,482 alcohol related crashes that left 3,510 with injuries.

While some of these people walked away with a broken bone, that has since healed, there are certainly others who have struggled with multiple surgeries and constant, chronic pain. They remain a constant reminder of why you want to make it through Labor Day weekend with nothing worse than a little sunburn and nostalgia for the summer that will be soon over.

Fox2now.com, “DWI security checkpoints to increase over Labor Day weekend“, Danielle Scruggs, August 29, 2014