HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla., (WFLA) — Driving under the influence is not just a problem during the holidays, it’s a problem law enforcement sees regularly.

Operation Ball Drop focuses on getting impaired drivers off the streets. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa Police Department, and Florida Highway Patrol partner together during the New Year’s holiday to get as many impaired drivers as possible off the streets.

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The operation runs from Dec. 29 through New Year’s Day. The sheriff’s office said they are doing what they can to spare families from tragedy.

“People don’t understand what that pain is like, people don’t understand what happens when you get that knock on the door. And what happens in your life, that your world is turned upside down,” said Sharon Hall.

Sharon Hall, with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, lost her son, Louis, in a drunk driving crash.

“He’s not here to have Christmas dinner with us, he’s not here to celebrate New Years with us, it’s forever,” she said.

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She said her son was the passenger and his friend was impaired, speeding and weaving through traffic. Coming back from downtown, she said they hit an exit sign.

“After the car had been spinning, the first impact was at least 89 miles an hour and the car spun in the other direction and flipped over the guard rail,” Hall said.

And Operation Ball Drop is there to try and prevent another family from the same fate.

“The collective stats were over 500 traffic stops and 53 DUI arrests. Hillsborough County had approximately 420 traffic stops and about 25 DUI arrests,” Chief Deputy Joe Maurer said.

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Chief Deputy Maurer said last year’s numbers were slightly higher than this year, and said every arrest made was a life saved.

“We wanted to make sure that if indeed drivers were out here and they were impaired, they didn’t cause harm to themselves, one, or harm to the community,” he said.

Hall also said every person needs to have a plan before going out. Years later, she said the pain of having to bury her oldest child is still there.

“Someone somewhere will miss you if you don’t come home,” she said.

The sheriff’s office has a special DUI squad that patrols year-round for people driving under the influence. According to Maurer, they make around 150 arrests for DUI every month.

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