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I'm pretty sure Bankrate readers are a little more conscientious than your average netizen, but I would feel remiss if I didn't warn everybody, especially those who plan to be driving around, to party responsibly this weekend.
Expect to see plenty of flashy sales at auto dealerships this weekend (Photo by Mykle Roventine)
A few weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced its annual DUI crackdown, culminating in increased enforcement Labor Day weekend. Expect to see a heavy police presence and DUI checkpoints on major roads over the next couple of days. And if you're not familiar with the financial costs of a DUI, you can check out this article on DUIs, which adds up the costs to be around $20,000. Whatever the specific cost is in your area, you can be sure calling a cab is way cheaper.
But besides being a financial boon for sheriff's departments nationwide, Labor Day is also a big auto buying weekend, with good reason. This time of year, automakers are trying to clear this year's models off the floor to make room for the new models that will soon be arriving, so they traditionally offer some of the year's best incentives. Add to that an extra day of shopping for workers lucky enough to have the day off, and you can expect to see plenty of balloons and wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube men at your local car dealer.
Incentives should be slightly higher this Labor Day weekend; according to data from Edmunds.com, the average incentive per vehicle was $2,681 per vehicle last month, up $225 over this time last year. Edmunds keeps a comprehensive list of current incentives here, although be sure to enter in your own ZIP code for accurate results.
