‘Don’t drink and drive’: Drivers warned against driving impaired over Labor Day weekend

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — AAA Northeast was joined by law enforcement leaders from around the state to hold a safe driving event ahead of Labor Day weekend.

The event encouraged drivers to be cautious and to use good judgement when driving around Rhode Island over the holiday weekend.

“With traffic fatalities surging nationally so far in 2022, drivers need to understand their important role in keeping themselves and their passengers safe,” AAA Northeast wrote in a release.

AAA reminded drivers to slow down with data showing that traffic deaths surge around the holiday weekend.

Thursday’s event featured speakers from law enforcement agencies around the Ocean State.

Police said that drink and driving as well as speeding are linked to many of the crashes that happen each year around this time.

Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Paré, Rhode Island State Police Capt. Jeffery L’heureux, Narragansett Police Chief Sean Corrigan, and Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association executive director Sid Wordell were all on hand.

“Our message is simple: don’t drink and drive,” Rhode Island State Police Col. Darnell Weaver said in a statement.

Instead, L’heureux encouraged people to use rideshare services.

“We will have extra troopers on the road this weekend and there is zero tolerance for impaired driving, so make a plan to get home safely,” added Weaver.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation said that typically there is at least one traffic death on Labor Day weekend in the Ocean State. However, over the last five years, there were two Labor Day weekends that saw three deaths each.