NORTH CAROLINA — Kicking off Monday, June 29, the state will have more patrols on the roadways for the week of the Independence Day holiday to crack down on impaired driving.
The North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program launched its annual “Operation Firecracker Booze It and Lose It,” which will be in place through Sunday, July 5. The goal is promote safe driving during a busy travel period in the state.
Law enforcement will conduct checkpoints and have increased patrols along corridors across the state.
“This time of year is one of the deadliest in terms of impaired driving crashes,” tyhe highway safety program’s director, Mark Ezzell, said in a release. “In 2025 alone, 464 people lost their lives in impaired driving crashes on North Carolina roads. This staggering number reminds us why this work is so critically important.”
North Carolina Department of Transportation reported 917 DWI arrests made during last year’s “Operation Firecracker” campaign, with 77 being underaged drinkers.
In addition to threatening lives by impaired driving, anyone who receives a DUI risks losing their license and paying thousands in court and escalated insurance fees.
NCDOT and the highway safety program is encouraging drivers to designate a sober driver or call a taxi or rideshare service.
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