Several police agencies are increasing patrols during the upcoming holidays in an effort to curb impaired driving.

Police in Elkhart and Kosciusko, and several other counties, say the campaign is aimed at reducing crashes and traffic deaths around the holidays, when statistics show an increased potential for drunk driving.

The holiday season is one of the deadliest times of the year for impaired-driving fatalities.

Last December, 73 people lost their lives in deadly crashes in Indiana. Of those, about a dozen involved a drunk driver.

The overtime is being funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with a grant from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.