(WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com) — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and safety partners urge motorists to celebrate responsibly ahead of the Labor Day holiday.

During the 2022 Labor Day holiday enforcement period, PSP troopers made 515 DUI arrests and investigated 45 alcohol-related crashes, four of which were fatal.

That same year, Life Lion responded to more than 2,600 motor vehicle crashes across central Pennsylvania, many of which involved traumatic injuries that resulted in transport to a hospital for further treatment.

“Lives can be changed or gone in an instant because someone used poor judgement and got behind the wheel while impaired,“

Penn State Health Life Lion Chief Flight Nurse Dan Schaeffer

Over this holiday period, PSP and local municipal agencies will conduct impaired driving enforcement details as part of the National Crackdown on Impaired Driving enforcement and education campaign running through September 4.

This effort is funded through PennDOT’s statewide annual distribution of approximately $6 million from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for impaired driving enforcement.

The goal of targeted enforcement is to reduce the number of impaired driving-related crashes, injuries, and deaths on roadways throughout the state. Impaired driving enforcement goes beyond checking for alcohol impairment, as law enforcement also works to identify motorists impaired by illegal drugs and prescription medication or some combination of these.

The safety partners encourage motorists to ensure their safety and the safety of others on our roadways by designating a sober driver or arranging for alternate transportation this Labor Day weekend, and every time they drink.

To learn more about PennDOT’s efforts to prevent impaired driving or other safety initiatives, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/Safety.