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News Specialist Jed Boal reportingCall it double jeopardy -- a dangerous combination of a winter storm and New Year's partiers taking to the road.
But law enforcement officers across the state are working to make this New Year's Eve as safe as possible.
Utah law enforcement has played a major role in reducing drunken driving deaths during the past two decades, and especially during the last few days.
Police expect the same results tonight despite the treacherous driving conditions.
This is the last night of a five-day statewide DUI blitz, and state police think they've pulled a record number of drunken drivers off the roads.
Local police and state troopers tonight worry about the volatile mix of alcohol and snow.
State Trooper Troy Giles hates to see storm clouds building on New Year's Eve.
"If there's snow on the ground for rush hour, we're going to get clobbered," Giles says.
Last year during a traffic stop in a November snowstorm, Giles was rear-ended by a car traveling 65 to 70 miles per hour.
Giles dodged death, but his back and shoulder were injured.
Tonight, slick roads stretch the patrol force thin, when it must balance DUI enforcement with crash responses.
But that public presence does work on the holidays.
"I think you're going to see a decline in the number of drunk drivers. People know there are taxis out there, designated drivers. They know we're going to be out there looking for them especially tonight," Giles says.
The last four days have been busy. In Salt Lake County alone, law enforcement busted 130 drunken drivers, which could be a record for any four-day period.
And recently, a national report showed Utah had the lowest rate of drunken driving fatalities in the nation last year.
Law enforcement and the public have worked together to change attitudes towards drinking and driving.
"I think it's a tribute to people out here who make good decisions. I think people are getting the message that you don't mix alcohol and driving at all," says Lt. Doug McCleve with the Utah Highway Patrol.
That ranking makes state troopers proud, but with more than 100 DUI arrests in four-days, they know they must keep up the pressure.
"I would like to think we're making a difference. If we're dropping the numbers of drunk drivers and fatalities, then we're doing our jobs. We're doing what we're supposed to be doing," Giles says.
Remember tonight while you're out on the roads to slow down, wear your seatbelt and drive defensively. And of course, if you're going to drink, just let someone else drive.
