"Historically, this weekend kicks off the busy holiday travel period," stated Col. Peter C. Munoz, director of the MSP.  "To increase traffic safety throughout the weekend, troopers will be taking a zero-tolerance approach to intoxicated drivers and motorists who are driving in an unsafe manner."  

The official Lifesaver Weekend begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 18, and runs through midnight on Sunday, Dec. 20.  Last year, four fatal traffic crashes resulted in four deaths over the weekend.  Of those who died, three were on snowmobiles and wearing helmets, one was a motorist wearing a lap and shoulder belt, and alcohol was a known factor in two of the crashes.

Operation C.A.R.E., which began in 1977 as a collaborative effort between the MSP and Indiana State Police, is one of the nation's longest-running traffic safety initiatives.  Today, it includes state and highway patrol agencies from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Quebec Police Force and the Virgin Islands.