News - Local
Labor Day Travel
Posted: Sep 3, 2010 5:51 PM by Carolyn Cerda
Updated: Sep 3, 2010 5:51 PM
Labor Day weekend is a busy travel time across the U.S. The holiday usually signals the end of the summer vacation-driving season, but many motorists are taking one last trip.
"Everyone's got their boats and RVs and four wheelers and it's just been a massive traffic jam," said Isaac Burnside, who was traveling through Lafayette on Friday.
AAA is anticipating a 10% increase of drivers this year from last and nearly 35 million of them will travel at least 50 miles away from home. With more travelers, comes more troopers on the roads. And, they say they have a good reason to be on high alert.
Last year's Labor Day holiday was the deadliest 3 day weekend on record for Louisiana. So, officials have launched their "No Refusal" initiative. Drivers must submit to a breath, blood or urine test if they're pulled over for suspicion of driving while impaired. Travelers are already noticing the increase in patrols across the state.
"I've noticed a lot of police on the way here... like every 5 or 10 miles there is a police pulling somebody over," said Mike Elmuccio, who was driving from Austin to New Orleans Friday afternoon.
Meantime, drivers are just hoping to make it through the traffic jams and to their destinations quickly. There are several construction projects on major highways throughout the weekend. Travelers can visit dotd.loisiana.gov and click on traffic cameras to see exactly where the construction is.
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