Six people lost their lives on Alabama roads over the Labor Day holiday weekend, matching the number of traffic fatalities reported during the same period last year.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency ended its four-day holiday safety enforcement session on Monday, September 7, at midnight. From Friday, September 4 to Monday, September 7, state troopers assigned to the highway and marine patrol divisions enhanced patrols on the state’s roads and waterways.
According to state officials, the six deadly automobile accidents happened in Baldwin, Cleburne, Colbert, Shelby, and Lauderdale counties. Over the weekend, troopers examined 322 traffic collisions statewide, resulting in 107 injuries and six deaths. Troopers also issued 2,481 citations and 1,369 warnings for different traffic violations, arresting 34 people for driving under the influence.
Unlike the state’s highways, Alabama’s rivers saw a considerably safer holiday weekend. During the four-day travel period, marine patrol troopers reported zero boating or non-boating fatalities. Waterway troopers investigated three boating incidents that injured three people, inspected 380 vessels, issued 106 marine safety violations, and issued 544 safety warnings. They also arrested two people for operating a boat while intoxicated and assisted 32 others.
ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor offered sympathies to the families of those killed, emphasizing that each number represents a family or community greatly affected by a holiday weekend tragedy. State officials are advising drivers to maintain a safety-first approach during the fall season by slowing down, removing distractions, and never driving or boating while impaired.
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