Connecticut state police are sending extra troopers out on the highways this Labor Day weekend to target drunken drivers, distracted drivers and other hazards.
The beefed-up patrols started at midnight Friday and will run through Monday night. Impaired driving checkpoints are planned in Waterbury and Hamden.
During Labor Day weekend last year, troopers arrested 24 people for driving under the influence and investigated 281 crashes, including 63 with injuries. No deaths were reported.
State police last year also handed out about 1,300 speeding tickets, nearly 2,500 tickets for tailgating and other moving violations and 47 tickets for failing to wear seat belts.
State police Col. Stavros Mellekas urges drivers to plan for traffic delays and allow extra time to reach their destinations.
