KALISPELL — Plan a sober ride before you celebrate this Labor Day weekend. That is the message from the Kalispell Police Department and other Flathead County law enforcement agencies as patrols intensify during one of the deadliest periods of the year on Montana roads.
WATCH: Montana law enforcement intensifies patrols this Labor Day weekend to combat impaired driving
Montana has the highest fatality rate in the nation for the number of deaths caused by impaired drivers per vehicle mile traveled, according to the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) Vision Zero program.
That risk expands during the "100 Deadliest Days," the period spanning from Memorial Day to Labor Day that sees the most traffic fatalities of the year.
"The 100 deadliest days are the kind of days that we as a police department focus on. Spikes in DUIs, spikes in fatalities while driving, that's where we want to focus our efforts," Kalispell Police Department Officer Will Appel said.
To close out the 100 Deadliest Days, the Kalispell Police Department, Flathead County law enforcement, and the Montana Highway Patrol are increasing patrols this weekend in an effort to reduce impaired driving.
"We want to get out, we want to saturate, we want to be aware," Appel said.
"It's not that we want to place people under arrest, but at the end of the day we want to saturate the streets of Kalispell and the streets of Flathead County to find the people that decided to drive drunk," Appel said.
Appel suggests planning to avoid intoxicated driving.
"The easiest thing is to preplan. I think that's what happens is people say they're only going to have one or they're not going to drink and don't have something in place in case they do. So whether you plan on it or not, have somebody ready that you can call that's not going to judge you, that can give you a ride home. If you don't have that, know how to get an Uber, know how to get a Lyft," Appel said.
This weekend, law enforcement is doing their part. Now they are asking drivers to do theirs.
