Agencies plan to step up drunken driving patrols

The holiday season is known for celebrations and traditions, but it is also known for being the deadliest season when it comes to impaired driving.

Iowa law enforcement agencies across the state will partner with the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this holiday season to remove impaired drivers from the roads and help save lives.

From Dec. 18 to Jan. 1, motorists will see an increased presence of law enforcement.

The following information was provided in a news release.

Statistics show there is a lot of work to do to put an end to drunken driving.

in 2018, 10,511 people were killed in drunken-driving crashes, according to NHTSA, On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2014 to 2018 - one person was killed in a drunken-driving crash every 50 minutes in 2018. This is why the Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau reminds drivers impaired driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death.

As you head out to the holiday festivities, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

Statistics:

' 2018 traffic fatalities in Iowa, 27 percent involved alcohol-impaired driving. Don't put your loved ones at risk this holiday season.

' According to NHTSA, 839 people lost their lives nationally in traffic crashes involving a drunken driver during the month of December 2018.

' Despite the fact it's illegal to drive when impaired by alcohol, in 2018, one person was killed every 50 minutes by a drunken driver on our nation's roads.

' During the Christmas and New Year's Day holiday periods in 2018 alone, there were more drunken-driving-related fatalities (285) than during any other holiday period that year.

' An operating-while-intoxicated conviction can cost $10,000 in attorney's fees, fines, repairs and lost time at work.

' In 2018, 85 lives were taken by alcohol-impaired traffic crashes in Iowa.

Plan ahead if you will be celebrating with an impairing substance. If you plan to indulge, plan for a sober driver to take you home. Call a taxi, friend or Uber. Is it your turn to be the designated driver? Take the role seriously and do not partake in alcohol or any other drugs.