Local law enforcement encourages travelers to take the proper precautions for holiday travel this week as significant increases are expected compared to last year. AAA predicts that auto travel will be up 34 percent starting this Thursday through January 2. Door County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Pat McCarty suggests keeping an eye on the weather if you need to travel over the holidays and allowing plenty of time to get where you are going.

Chief Deputy McCarty adds that local and other law enforcement agencies are engaging in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign that is currently in effect through New Year’s. He advises people drinking to find arrangements to get home, like a designated driver. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drunk driving takes the lives of more than 10,000 people every year in the United States.