The Kansas Highway Patrol will have extra troopers on the state’s highways Memorial Day weekend.

“We’ll be out there and we’ll be watching,” Patrol Lt. John Eichkorn said.

Troopers will be especially watchful for “crash-causing” violations as well as impaired drivers, Eichkorn said. People who plan on drinking alcohol at parties or barbecues need to plan to ride with a designated, sober driver or take a bus or cab, he said.

“Find some means of not putting yourself behind the wheel if you are going to be drinking,” Eichkorn said.

The Highway Patrol begins a special tally of accidents and violations for the holiday weekend. It began at 6 p.m. Friday and will continue to 6 p.m. Monday.

Last year during that period, there were 522 traffic accidents, which injured 143 people and killed five people. Alcohol was a factor in 38 of the accidents, resulting in 19 injuries but no fatalities. Troopers arrested 59 people for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s office will be conducting a saturation patrol early Sunday during which officers will watch for impaired drivers and other violators, Lt. Kari Wempe said. An extra three or four officers will be on patrol from midnight Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday, she said. The officers will be moving throughout the county, she said.