With Christmas Day now another memory, the month of December is coming to a close and with it 2017 and the promise of a new year.

The coming of a new year is cause for celebration for many, and that means parties to ring in 2018.

It also means many people will be shooting fireworks and enjoying alcoholic beverages, and some who over-celebrate will get behind the wheel and try to drive themselves home, creating a traffic problem for other motorists on the road.

And officers with the Vicksburg Police Department and Warren County sheriff’s deputies will be out enforcing traffic regulations and on the lookout for impaired drivers.

“Dec. 15 was the start of our ‘Drive Sober or get Pulled Over’ campaign,” Vicksburg Police Chief Milton Moore said. “It will be on until Jan. 1, so of course we’re going to have some guys out looking for DUIs.”

He said extra officers will be out on the streets because of the holiday season, and will be operating safety checkpoints Saturday in the city.

“They’re going to move from location to location,” he said.

Sheriff Martin Pace said he will also have extra deputies on patrol in the county watching for DUIs and possible traffic violations.

Pace and Moore both recommend that if someone is going to drink alcohol during their New Year’s celebration, they need to have a designated driver or some safe way to get home.

“We want everybody to enjoy celebrating the holidays and the new year,” Pace said, “But I can’t strongly caution people enough that if alcohol is involved in their celebration, they need to have a totally sober designated driver or they need to stay where they’re partying. They do not need to be on the road under the influence.”