State Police urge motorists to be safe during Labor Day weekend

With Labor Day weekend beginning Friday for many commuters, Virginia State Police officials are urging motorists to be safe and to buckle up.

Seven people died during the past seven days on Virginia highways, and four of the six killed in passenger vehicle crashes were not wearing safety belts.

Despite a nine percent decrease in total traffic fatalities during the first eight months of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017, fatalities involving unrestrained drivers or passengers are on pace with last year, according to preliminary data. Of the 493 total people killed to date this year on Virginia's roads, 220 of them weren’t wearing a seat belt. More than a quarter (58) of those unbelted fatalities were between the ages of 21 and 30.

“It takes just three seconds to buckle up, and the choice you make could be the difference between a life saved and another tragic statistic,” said Virginia State Police Superintendent Colonel Gary T. Settle. “We need your help to prevent fatalities on our roads and continue driving these alarming fatality numbers down. As you travel for the Labor Day holiday, whether it’s across the state or around the corner, buckle up every ride, every time.”

Occupant restraint enforcement is a key component of the Labor Day Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort) traffic safety initiative that begins 12:01 a.m. Aug. 31 and concludes Sept. 3 at midnight. Virginia State Police will increase patrols to ensure the long holiday weekend is as safe as possible.

The state-sponsored, national program encourages law enforcement agencies to increase visibility and traffic enforcement efforts on major travel holidays, like Labor Day. The program also means that all available Virginia State Police troopers will be on patrol through the holiday weekend.

The 2017 Labor Day Operation C.A.R.E. initiative resulted in troopers citing 576 individuals who failed to obey the law and buckle up, as well as issuing 181 citations for child safety seat violations on Virginia’s highways statewide. In addition, state police cited 7,447 speeders and 2,092 reckless drivers. A total of 97 drunken drivers were taken off Virginia’s roadways and arrested by state troopers.

There were five traffic fatalities statewide during the four-day statistical counting period (Sept. 1 to Sept. 4) last year during Labor Day weekend. None of those individuals were wearing seat belts.

In 2016, there were eight traffic deaths, and in 2015, Virginia experienced 16 fatalities on Virginia’s highways during the holiday weekend.