As part of he nationwide “Drunk Driving — Over the Limit Under Arrest” campaign to crack down on impaired driving, southeastern Minnesota law enforcement agencies have stepped up their patrol efforts since Aug. 21 and will continue to do so through Labor Day Weekend.

The extra hours are paid for by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and are a component of Minnesota’s Toward Zero Deaths traffic safety program.

Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi said her deputies have already worked an extra 16 hours of overtime since Aug. 21.

“DWIs are a problem everywhere,” Amazi said. “We’re doing what we can to get people to have a sober driver or get people to call a cab or stay home.”

This weekend is a recipe for disaster.

In addition of being Labor Day Weekend and the state fair, it’s also the start of the college football season, complete with parties and barbecues.

The nationwide “Drunk Driving — Over the Limit Under Arrest” campaign is a worthy program that helps protect us here in southeastern Minnesota by providing the funding for more law enforcement hours.

But it’s also up to the drivers too, to ultimately arrange for a safe ride home instead of taking the chance behind the wheel.

Doing that can save lives and can save someone thousands of dollars in DWI costs.

Have fun this Labor Day Weekend, but be safe.