Not quite half way into ALEA’s “101 Days of Summer Safety” campaign, it’s apparent that we … could be doing better.

During the four days of the recent holiday alone, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency reported that heightened patrols and safety initiatives resulted in nearly four dozen arrests for driving under the influence and myriad seat belt infractions. Sadly, of the eight traffic fatalities during that period, two were found to be of people not buckled up.

Troopers from the ALEA’s Marine Patrol didn’t fare much better. During the long July 4 weekend, the division investigated eight boat crashes, with one of those occurring on Smith Lake. And nine boaters were charged with boating under the influence during that time, as part of the annual Operation Dry Water detail, which ran concurrently with the “101 Days of Summer Safety” program.

Now, as summer heats up, the agency is ramping its campaigns up by joining forces with ALEA pilots. While that’s mostly at the beach, it’s worth noting that the initiatives continue in full force throughout the state. Be safe Cullman County; there’s a lot of summer left to enjoy.