Police in Mackinac and Chippewa counties are among those taking part in a holiday season crackdown on drunk driving planned across Michigan from Friday, December 19, to Sunday, January 4.

Federal traffic safety funds will pay for overtime patrols in Mackinac, Chippewa, and Delta counties in the Upper Peninsula.

A drunk driving conviction carries assorted penalties that can include court costs and fines, increased car insurance rates, legal fees, and $2,000 in driver responsibility fees.

To help prevent drunk driving, police agencies suggest party hosts can serve non-alcoholic drinks to designated drivers, and make sure all drinking guests leave in a cab, with a sober driver, or spend the night.

Nearly 35% of traffic fatalities in Michigan involve alcohol or drugs. Over the 2007 Christmas and New Year's holidays, nine people were killed in alcohol- or drugrelated crashes in the state.