Police officers will tell you that crime tends to go up in the summer.

The heat draws people outside, and alcohol and tempers often mix to cause problems. Besides, no criminal wants to be tiptoeing in the bushes outside a house in 20-degree weather.

But the warm weather brought another problem to the Miss-Lou this year — car accidents.

Since last Thursday there have been six vehicle accidents in the Miss-Lou causing three deaths and several other injuries.

A teenage boy was killed when the four-wheeler he was riding was hit by an 18-wheeler in Concordia Parish. And two young adults died as a result of injuries sustained from a wreck on the Mississippi River Bridge Sunday.

Two other accidents in Vidalia resulted in flipped cars and minor damage.

Maybe the weather doesn’t have anything to do with it, but one way or the other, it’s time to pause and pay attention.

We need to remember the families affected by these accidents, and remind our own loved ones to slow down, be careful and buckle up.

The last five days have been tragic in the Miss-Lou. Let’s do what we can to make sure that the next five days are as safe as they can be.