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The New Tazewell Police Department is taking a proactive approach to holiday drinking and driving by stepping up its patrol of the city limits. The NTPD cruisers will be out in force from Dec. 13 through Jan. 1 searching for impaired drivers.

The department will be working alongside the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) and its “Booze It & Lose It” campaign – a part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” nationwide mobilization.

Increased state and national messaging about the dangers of drunk driving, coupled with increased sobriety checkpoints and high-visibility enforcement, aim to drastically reduce the number of drunk-driving crashes, injuries and fatalities this year.

“We ask all Tennesseans to please drive safely this holiday season,” said THSO director Buddy Lewis. “Our state and local law enforcement partners will be out in full force to secure Tennessee roadways. We want everyone to make it home safely. So, please designate a sober driver.”

Ben Evans, NTPD chief, says he wants everyone to enjoy the holidays but to be mindful and smart to safely reach your destination. The department will be saturating the city for signs of impairment in an effort to prevent a needless tragedy during the holidays, he said.

The consequences of a single DUI conviction, for a first-time offender in the state of Tennessee, may include costly fines, court costs, legal fees, jail time, mandatory drug and alcohol treatment and/or the installation of an ignition interlock device in the offender’s vehicle.

The THSO is providing grant funds to support New Tazewell Police Department’s increased enforcement efforts during the “Booze It & Lose It” holiday campaign.

For more information about the THSO, visit: www.tntrafficsafety.org.