The San Juan County Sheriff’s Department is stepping up traffic patrols and enforcement of rules of the road.

Sheriff Rob Nou said in a press release that emphasis will focus on impaired drivers, speeding drivers, distracted drivers (those using cell phones), and unrestrained occupants of motor vehicles, meaning failure to use a seat belt.

Nou said that with school out, summer arriving and the onset of tourist season, traffic concerns and safety “becomes an issue for our island communities”. The ramp up in enforcement is intended to keep the islands safe and to prevent a tragedy, he said.