Police plan extra patrols for Labor Day weekend

Law enforcement agencies across the state will deploy extra patrols during the final weeks of the summer season.

As part of the national Labor Day “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” crackdown, officers will be looking to prevent impaired driving. Saturation patrols for DUI enforcement will run now through Labor Day, Sept. 5.

“More than half of roadway fatalities in Montana each year involve an impaired driver, and this is unacceptable,” said Whitefish Police Chief Bill Dial in a prepared release. “We are on the lookout every day for impaired drivers, but as the summer winds down, more people participate in activities involving alcohol. That’s why we have more officers on duty to encourage every driver to be sober.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration high-visibility enforcement can reduce alcohol related driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent.

“Arrange for a sober ride before the drinking begins,” Dial said. “Because the fun will end abruptly if you’re driving drunk and we stop and arrest you, or worse yet, you get into a crash and injure or kill someone.”

The public is encouraged to report suspected impaired drivers by calling 911, and by ensuring their friends and family have a sober driver.

Extra traffic safety patrols are funded by the Montana Department of Transportation. This and other enforcement and education campaigns are combined under Vision Zero, the shared vision for zero deaths and zero serious injuries on Montana roadways.