Vidalia &8212; Labor Day marks the final long holiday weekend of summertime, and with it will come extra patrols on both sides of the river.

The Concordia Parish Sheriff&8217;s office will increase highway patrols through late Monday, targeting drunk drivers, speeders and seat belt violators.

&8220;This is the last big holiday weekend that folks will be enjoying during the summer of 2006,&8221; Sheriff Randy Maxwell said. &8220;We want everyone to celebrate safely and we really want them to be aware that our officers will be out in force to help make it safe.&8221;

&8220;Gasoline prices took a slight dip at the beginning of the week, which may give more people the desire to travel this weekend,&8221; he said. &8220;I know that a lot of people look forward to a last trip to the beach or heading to the area lakes over the holiday,&8221; Maxwell said. &8220;We just want all of them to be safe on the local and state highways.&8221;

The American Automobile Association is predicting that some 35 million Americans will be traveling 50 miles or more, away from home over this weekend.

They expect that 84 percent of that number will travel by car or truck.

&8220;Whether you&8217;re driving

a passenger car or pickup truck during this Labor Day weekend, the chances of getting stopped for ignoring speed limits, drinking and driving and violating seat belt laws will be high,&8221; Maxwell said. &8220;If our officers don&8217;t stop you, another agency most likely will.&8221;

&8220;Please be alert on the road this weekend and put cell phones down while driving,&8221; Maxwell said.

&8220;Get a designated driver if you plan to party. We want all of our travelers to make it home safely.&8221;

Natchez, Adams County and Mississippi officers will step up efforts to keep travelers safe this weekend, as well.

Natchez Police Chief Mike Mullins said more of his officers would be watching the roads this weekend.

&8220;We&8217;ll be out looking for seat belt violations, erratic driving, speed enforcement,&8221; Mullins said.

Mullins recommended traveling four-lane highways instead of smaller two-lane roads.

&8220;It&8217;s safer than driving where two cars are going in opposite directions two or three feet from each other,&8221; he said.

The Adams County Sheriff&8217;s Office will be busy this weekend, too.

&8220;We&8217;re going to have extra officers on, working with the highway patrol and doing road blocks with them,&8221; Sheriff Ronny Brown said Friday.

&8220;We&8217;re trying to keep drunk drivers off the road and make it safe for the public.&8221;

Every state highway patrol employee in the district will work this weekend, said Sgt. Rusty Boyd, a spokesman with the Brookhaven office of the Mississippi Highway Patrol.

&8220;We&8217;ll be doing patrols, driver&8217;s license checks, road blocks, seat belt checks and checks for DUIs,&8221; Boyd said.

He suggested not driving at night to avoid the more frequent nighttime traffic stops.

&8220;Be patient with us, because you&8217;re probably going to come up on a road block at some point,&8221; Boyd said.

&8220;If you&8217;re not doing anything wrong, you don&8217;t have anything to worry about.&8221;