WILMINGTON — Law enforcement statewide will increase patrols this holiday season to keep drivers safe against impaired driving.
On Monday, the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program launched its Booze It & Lose It campaign. It’s in effect through Jan. 1, 2024. Its goal is to deter people from driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs and other substances.
“Festivities this time of year often involve alcohol consumption, which unfortunately leads to an increased risk of impaired driving,” Mark Ezzell, director of highway safety, said in a press release. “More than 25 percent of all N.C. crash fatalities in 2022 involved drivers who were under the influence of alcohol.”
There were 471 alcohol-related crash fatalities in 2022, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Multiple sobriety checkpoints and patrols will be set up in heavily trafficked areas across the state.
“It is essential to plan a safe ride before heading out,” Jennifer Lichtneger, executive director of NC Mothers Against Drunk Driving, added in the release. “If you wait until after you’ve been drinking, you will already be too impaired to make the right decisions.”
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