The Island County Sheriff’s Office and the Oak Harbor Police Department will participate this weekend in beefed up patrols in Island and Skagit counties to prevent driving under the influence.

Dubbed “Night of 1,000 Stars,” the DUI emphasis patrols will be Friday and Saturday, Dec. 17-18, sponsored by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

Law enforcement officers statewide advise all holiday party-goers to designate a sober driver, take a taxi or choose not to drink alcohol.

In 2009 there were 41,006 people charged with DUI in Washington, according to the WTSC. The average blood alcohol level of people arrested in Washington for DUI is about 0.14, almost twice the legal limit of 0.08.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an average of 30 people are killed every day on the nation’s roadways as a result of alcohol-impaired crashes. For more information, www.wtsc.wa.gov.