As the Labor Day holiday approaches, Alabama State Troopers are cracking down on driving violations on state roadways.

Lt. John Malone said increased patrols began Saturday and will last through the Labor Day holiday, Monday, Sept. 3.  “Sobriety will be our primary focus,” Malone said. “Driving under the influence and not wearing seatbelts are the two most common causes of fatalities on the road. They are the two leading factors that are present the majority of the time.”

Malone said that during the past five years, Alabama has seen a significant decrease in traffic fatalities – about 30 percent – but added the Alabama Department of Public Safety and the Alabama State Trooper’s office will continue to partner with local law enforcement to ensure that trend continues.

“Labor Day and Memorial Day may be the two most traveled holidays,” Malone said. “We’re going to concentrate on beach routes and things like that. A lot of traffic moves during these times and we just want it to move smoothly.”

Malone said, in the days leading up to this year’s Labor Day weekend, Evergreen troopers, police officers, sheriff’s deputies, Alabama Beverage Control officers, marine police and conservation officers have joined forces to blanket the area with increased coverage.  “We’re going to try and be as visible as possible and keep people mindful of safety,” Malone said.

During their highway safety campaign, law enforcement agents will be paying special attention to impaired driving, aggressive driving, distracted driving, speeding and the use of seatbelts and child restraints.

According to state officials, overtime grants administered through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and the Alabama Department of Transportation will fund the extra manpower for this year’s “valuable traffic safety initiative.” In a statement released by the Evergreen State Trooper’s office, officials said “highway safety is one of our top priorities, which is why we’ll be out in full force with our partner agencies, saturating Alabama’s roadways, conducting sobriety checks and doing everything we can to get impaired drivers off the road. We want all motorists to clearly understand that driving impaired is not worth the consequences, which can be deadly.”