The Tennessee Highway Patrol is planning a checkpoint this Friday...

The Seat Belt Checkpoint will be after nightfall on Friday night, December 18, 2015 on Warrior Drive in Murfreesboro.

More Checkpoints in La Vergne:

If you drink and drive during the next few weeks, holiday decorations will not be the only colorful lights you see.

You may see the blue lights of the La Vergne Police Department. They are partnering with the Tennessee Governor's Highway Safety Office to enhance DUI enforcement from December 18th to January 3rd.

This statewide Booze It and Lose It campaign is part of a national mobilization to prevent drunk driving.

Officers will be working overtime on Alcohol Saturation Patrols during this time to aggressively search for drivers who choose to drive after consuming alcohol These saturation patrols will be set up on some of the busiest streets late in the evening and early mornings because studies show that this is the time when drunk driving tends to be the highest.

The La Vergne Police will also have a Sobriety Checkpoint on Saturday, December 19th.
This sobriety checkpoint will not only help identify drivers who are under the influence, but also other alcohol violations, passenger restraint violations, and other similar violations that contribute to traffic crashes and injuries.

During the first nine months of this year, Tennessee experienced 4,740 known alcohol-related crashes. That equates to an average of 17 people each day making the decision to get behind the wheel after they have been drinking.

"We can't stand to see this tragic loss of life again and again," said Chief Mike Walker. "The hardest part of the job is making that house call and telling a family that their loved one is gone because someone chose to drink and drive. That's why, leading up to the holidays, we will show zero tolerance for drunk drivers on the road. Please find a safe and sober ride home."

Increased state and national messaging about the dangers of driving drunk, coupled with checkpoints and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce the toll of drunk driving.

A single DUI conviction can cost an individual $5,000 or more in addition to jail time. Offenders could also be required to attend drug and alcohol treatment or to install an ignition interlock device in their vehicle.

So "don't drink and drive"! Otherwise, you might see colored lights that not only can be very expensive, but deadly!

For more information on traffic safety, visit www.tntrafficsafety.org.