Nashville, Tennessee --- Last year during the official Christmas and New Year's holidays a total of 35 motorists lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes. To make this year's holiday season safe for all, Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Troopers will spend their holidays on the road.

"The Tennessee Highway Patrol will do everything within its power to ensure motorists on Tennessee roadways have a safe and happy holiday season," said THP Colonel Lynn Pitts. "We've planned for aggressive enforcement methods during the back-to-back holiday weekends. In addition to the stringent enforcement of all motor vehicle laws, Troopers will remain highly visible and conduct sobriety and driver license checkpoints in various communities across the state."

The official 54-hour Christmas holiday period begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 24 and continues until midnight Sunday, December 26. During the 2003 Christmas holiday, 12 people were killed, including one pedestrian.

The official New Year's holiday period begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 31 and continues until midnight Sunday, January 2. During the 2003 New Year's holiday 23 people were killed, including three pedestrians.

"Drive responsibly when traveling to and from your holiday celebrations," added THP Colonel Pitts. "Plan ahead, obey all traffic laws and never drink and drive. Mixing alcohol and driving is a potentially deadly combination not only to yourself, but to others as well."

Alcohol played a factor in a significant number of crashes during last year's holiday season. Forty-two percent of the fatalities that occurred during last year's Christmas holiday were alcohol related. The number of alcohol-related crashes grew to 57 percent during the New Year's holiday.

The use of safety belts and child restraint devices is also a concern of the Highway Patrol. During the 2003 Christmas and New Year's holiday periods, a total of 16 (51 percent) of motor vehicle occupants killed were not wearing seat belts.

"One of the most effective ways to prevent injury or death in the event of a crash is your seatbelt. Remember to buckle up. Not only is it the safe thing to do, it's the law," said Colonel Pitts.

The Tennessee Department of Safety's mission is (www.tennessee.gov/safety) to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.