Law enforcement officers will be out on the roads in full force for the next couple of weeks.

Newberry Police Department will be having public safety checkpoints beginning Friday until Sept. 3 as they usher in back to school, the start of football season, the Labor Day holiday weekend and the end of the 100 Deadly Days of Summer in conjunction with the S.C. Department of Public Safety.

Newberry Police Department will be teaming up with Newberry County Sheriff’s Office and the S.C. Highway Patrol in extra enforcement efforts to keep the highways safe for all travelers.

“We will pay extra attention to seatbelt usage, speeding, reckless driving and impaired driving,” said Newberry Police Sgt. Chuck Rogers.

Expect the city police to be doing checkpoints on Main, Glenn, Drayton, Johnstone, Boundary, College, Evans, and Harrington streets, and on S.C. highways 121, 34, and 219. Rogers adds that the checkpoints could be held at other locations in the city.

“We will make our presence felt,” said Rogers. “We want people to be safe, not drive impaired, and wear seatbelts.”

This years some 63 percent of motorist are not wearing seatbelts compared to 50 percent a year ago.

As of Aug. 5, in Newberry County eight people have lost their lives in crashes since Jan. 1.

Statewide 485 people had lost their lives on S.C. road ways , as of Friday.