If you’re looking forward to celebrating Labor Day Weekend a few days from now, you’re not alone. Given how difficult of a year it has been for Americans, many of us are eager for a three-day weekend and a chance to celebrate the unofficial end of Summer.

Most adults traditionally include alcohol in their holiday celebrations. If you’ll be drinking this weekend – even moderately – it is in your best interests to find alternative transportation so that you don’t need to get behind the wheel. Law enforcement officers throughout Missouri have already begun to increase enforcement of the state’s DWI laws. As in previous years, state and local police are participating in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.

Although the increased enforcement period started on August 21, it will continue through September 7, with an especially strong focus on the holiday weekend. The goal, safety advocates say, is to take drunk drivers off the roads and prevent alcohol-related crashes, injuries and deaths.

Statistics show that alcohol impairment is dangerous, even when drivers are below the legal limit for blood-alcohol concentration. Preliminary data show that in 2019, Missouri car accidents involving at least one substance-impaired driver resulted in 590 injuries and 184 deaths. Those statistics were for the entire year, but there is traditionally a spike in drunk driving and related car accidents around major holidays, including Labor Day Weekend.

If you’ll be celebrating with alcohol, your safest bet (physically and legally) is to arrange for sober transportation. If that’s not possible, however, please moderate your alcohol intake and make sure you are sober enough to drive before getting behind the wheel.

And if you find yourself facing DWI charges now or following the holiday weekend, please contact an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as reasonably possible.