Drive safely as you celebrate. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Washington Police Department don’t want anyone to “wreck the holidays.” If you’re planning to drink alcohol as you celebrate the new year, then have a designated sober driver. Chief Deputy Shawn Ellingson with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office says the best thing to do is to plan ahead, “I think that most people that we deal with on a professional basis about 2 in the morning just didn’t plan ahead. You know, maybe the night turns into something they didn’t expect, and maybe they partied it up a little too much. The big thing is have a plan, have somebody who is going to drive, stay somewhere, or have a designated driver.”

According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, from December 13 of 2018 to January 1, 2019, Iowa law enforcement arrested 506 impaired drivers. On average, an operating while intoxicated offense can set a person back $10,000 including attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, car towing, and lost time at work.