Mississippi law enforcement will be increasing its patrols to combat drunk driving during the holiday season.

“Beginning December 16 and continuing into the New Year, you will see stepped-up enforcement watching closely for anyone who is driving impaired,” Mississippi Highway Patrol’s Lt. Col. Randy Ginn, the chief of the Uniform Division, said in a news release. “We want to keep our roads safe for holiday travelers, so we will have zero tolerance for drunk driving.”

“Last year, 162 Mississippians died unnecessarily in alcohol-related crashes. And in December alone, 6,561 people were injured in crashes,” MHP’s Capt. Johnny Poulos, the director of the Public Affairs Division, said in the news release.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 35,092 people died in motor crashes in 2015. Twenty-nine percent of those, or 10,265, died in crashes where the driver had a blood alcohol concentration over the limit of .08.

Mississippi ranks fifth for number of teen motor vehicle crash deaths in the nation. In 2015, 78 teens died in accidents, with 23 percent of those deaths attributed to alcohol-related crashes. 

The consequences of drunk driving can include jail time, losing a driver’s license, paying higher insurance rates, paying for costs such as attorney fees, court costs, car towing and repairs, and making up for lost wages. 

“But the ultimate cost of drunk driving is causing a traffic crash that injures or kills,” said the executive director of Public Safety Planning, Ray Sims. 

“If you will be drinking, plan on not driving. Plan your safe ride home before you start the party. Choose someone ahead of time to stay sober and be the Designated Driver. If you become intoxicated, do not drive for any reason. Call a local ride service or taxi, or phone a sober friend or family member,” Poulos said. 

“If someone you know has been drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Take their keys, take them home or help them arrange a safe way home. If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact your local law enforcement,” Sims said. 

NHTSA has also released an app, SaferRide, which allows users to call a taxi or friend and identify their location to help keep drunk drivers off of the roads. 

“Your actions could help save someone’s life. Remember, it is never safe to drink and drive,” Ginn said. “We will be out in force and actively looking for drunk drivers, so drive sober or get pulled over.”