More than 500 people were killed in alcohol or drug related traffic accidents last year, and officials are hoping to reduce that number for 2022.
Law enforcement’s Booze It and Lose it holiday campaign kicks off Tuesday, with increasing patrols statewide, and runs through Jan. 2.
The effort is the largest impaired driving campaign run by the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program, seeking to stop drivers under the influence.
“If you’re out celebrating this holiday season, make sure you have a sober ride home,” North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program Director Mark Ezzell said in a press release. “If you drive under the influence, you have a lot to lose. Not only could you kill yourself or someone else, but you could face thousands of dollars in court costs and fines, jail time, or a revoked license.”
So far in 2022, 432 people have been killed in North Carolina in alcohol- or drug-related crashes. Last year, 503 people died, up slightly from 2020. A huge spike in fatalities was reported from 2019 to 2020, from 403 to 500.
NCGHSP reminds all drivers to never get behind the wheel impaired, buckle their seatbelts when riding in any seat in a vehicle and obey the speed limit.
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