On the road and on the water, this weekend the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, ALE and Wildlife Resources Commission will be combining assets to combat drinking and driving, according to a press release from the NCSHP.

Along with Memorial Day and Fourth of July, Labor Day is one of those summer holiday weekends where drivers need to be reminded not to get behind a wheel impaired — whether that wheel is steering a vehicle or boat.

“On the Road, On the Water, Don’t Drink and Drive” is a statewide initiative in effect from Friday to Monday.

On a local level, troopers will be cracking down on speeders, according to First Sgt. Brandon Craft.

“We’re doing a big speed enforcement on the U.S. Highways — beach traffic going for the weekend – on Friday and Monday,” Craft said. “No big checkpoints. I’m sure there’ll be some smaller ones done, though.”

Craft said in the local office, most of their “On the Road, On the Water, Don’t Drink and Drive” operations were done over Fourth of July. With children back in school this week, he said his main focus is on making sure the roadways around schools and school bus stops stay safe.

“We just encourage people to slow down around school bus stop and near schools, and to know the law around school bus stops,” Craft said.

Craft said when it comes to infractions centering around school zones and bus stops, the most common violation happens on four-lane roads: drivers in oncoming lanes not stopping when a school bus is letting off passengers. It’s only when a four (or more) lane road is divided by a turn lane or a median that drivers don’t have to stop for school buses.

“It’s real important to know what the law is and know when to stop. And, really, when they’ve got a question, it’s always best to stop,” Craft said. “Just slow down and be careful. There’s a lot more traffic on the roads now.”