Drunk Driving Crackdown for Labor Day

Law enforcement agencies will be out in full force throughout the Midwest this Labor Day weekend cracking down on drunk drivers. Michael Witter of the The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that this is an especially dangerous weekend, due the likelihood of lots of impaired drivers on the roads. “We do know that Labor Day, like Memorial Day, like Fourth of July tends to be one of those holidays where a lot of people out there traveling, and with that goes unfortunately a lot of people who consume a lot of alcohol and then drive. So we know this is the time of year to let people know whatever you’re going to do plan ahead and if you’re going to consume alcohol you know have someone in your family drive who doesn’t drink.”

According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, there were more than 700 crashes last year on Labor Day weekend with a total of six fatalities and 370 injuries. Last year there were over 35,000 drunken driving convictions in the state.

The DOT says peak travel times on highways for the holiday are expected to be from noon until 8:00 p.m. Friday and on Monday.