Be safe on highways, rivers and lakes, RCMP urges ahead of Labour Day long weekend

The warm weather forecast for this long weekend willmean busy highways and packed parks as people get out of town for one last summer excursion.

And the Mounties, provincial sheriffs and other peace officers will be out in force making sure people are doing it safely, says RCMP Cpl. Curtis Peters.

"So what we're looking for is to really enforce the safety message," he said.

That means don't drink and drive, and put the phone down while you're behind the wheel.

About 30 per cent of the collisions on Alberta's roads involve impairment, Peters says.

Water safety

The RCMP arealso reminding Albertans to practice water safety on the lakes and rivers this weekend.

There have been 16 drownings in rural Alberta this summer.

"All of those are preventable, and we'd really like to see this be a safe long-weekend for everyone," Peters said.

Police are getting lots of calls about overdue river rafters.

Peters says the rivers are lower and flowing more slowly, which can force rafters to carry their rafts in some sections.

Sorafters and canoers should take the extra time into consideration when they are planning a trip, he says.

Fire bans still in place

People heading out of town for the long weekend also need to keep in mind thatfire bans continue to be in effect in much of Alberta.

"Simply tossing a cigarette butt out a window can cause a fire," Peterssaid.

"Know what the rules are. It's not worth having the bill for a forest fire on you. There's measures in place now where you can be held responsible for those costs."

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