Americans love to celebrate the Labor Day holiday with family, friends, food, and fireworks, but all too often the festivities turn tragic on the nation's roads.
The fact is, this iconic American holiday is also one of the deadliest of the year due to drunk-driving crashes.
The Vermont State Police will be on the roads, statewide, for Operation Combined Accident Reduction Effort (Operation CARE) to provide additional traffic enforcement over the final weeks of summer and the Labor Day weekend. Patrols and safety checkpoints will be based on a carefully focused analytical review of fatal crashes in Vermont.
“We've made great strides saving lives through enforcement and education, engineering safer roads and an improved ability to render medical aid immediately following a crash,” said Lt. Garry Scott, Vermont State Police Traffic Safety Commander, in a news release. “However we have to work harder and more effectively in driving towards zero deaths on Vermont roadways.”
So far in 2015, state police say, Vermont has had 30 traffic-related deaths: 20 vehicle operators, five passengers, one pedestrian, three bicyclists, and one ATV occupant.
While fatality numbers are down from previous years, state police say that one fatality is one too many.
Of this year's fatalities, state police say seven were suspected to have been speeding, seven were suspected of having driven under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and seven were not wearing seat belts.
Scott asks that Vermonters “take care this Labor Day to slow down, designate a sober driver, and buckle up for your safety and for the safety of everyone on the roads.”