This new year’s holiday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office will be looking for drunk drivers.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY – This is the time of year to eat, drink and be merry, but the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office hopes that drivers who have been too merry won’t get behind the wheel of a car.

Unfortunately, deputies said, not everyone refrains from drinking and driving. That makes this time of year one of the most dangerous times to be on the road. That’s why Hillsborough deputies will be out in force through Monday (Jan. 1) as part of an effort to curb drinking and driving and making sure everyone gets home safe.

The Hillsborough sheriff offers these statistics and tips:

*According to the Centers for Disease Control, 28 people in the U.S. die daily in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This is one death every 51 minutes.

*The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $44 billion.

*In 2015, 10,265 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (29 percent) of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S.

*From 2011-2015, 28 percent (3,983) of all people who lost their lives in a traffic crash during the month of December died in a crash that involved a driver with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher.

*This holiday season, law enforcement will be stepping up patrols looking for drunk drivers. Don’t put yourself, your passengers and others at risk this holiday season by driving after drinking.

*Drunk driving is never worth the risk. Hand the keys to a sober driver or face the consequences. Remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

Hillsborough Sheriff | Drunk Driving | Impaired Driving | DUI | New Year’s Eve | Tampabay News

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