A campaign to keep drivers safe ahead of the Independence Day holiday has kicked off.
READ MORE: NHCSO responds to complaints over hours-long wait at CB checkpoint
The annual “Operation Firecracker Booze it and Lose it” campaign will be in effect until July 7, in an effort to thwart drunk driving statewide. There will be more law enforcement patrolling the streets and more checkpoints to remove impaired motorists from behind the wheel.
According to Mark Ezzell, the director of North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program, there were 388 people who died last year due to drunk-driving — four of which occurred during the July 4th weekend.
“That’s unacceptable,” Ezzel said in a press release.
A total of 162 alcohol-related crashes happened this time last year, according to crash data from the N.C. Department of Transportation.
The governor’s highway safety program encourages safe travels this holiday, including having a designated sober driver or calling a rideshare or taxi service while out and about.
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