Drunk Driving Takes the Cheer Out of the Holidays by
RALEIGH – If you’re enjoying the holidays with a drink, the N.C. Department of Transportation and the Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP), along with state and local law enforcement, have a message for you: “Booze It & Lose It.” Due to the increase in drunk-driving-related fatalities around the holidays each year, state and local law enforcement agencies across North Carolina will kick off the statewide holiday Booze It & Lose It campaign to actively search for and arrest impaired drivers with an event in Winston-Salem on Friday. The statewide campaign continues through January 3. In 2014, 380 people were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver, and in December 2014 alone there were 24 people killed in crashes involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. One of those deaths occurred on Christmas Day. Fatalities as a result of an impaired driver are currently down nine percent with 347 deaths in North Carolina so far this year, but any life lost because of an impaired driver is one too many. “The holiday season is a time for happiness, joy and time with loved ones, not a time for dealing with tragic loss of life,” said Don Nail, director of GHSP. “If you plan to drink please find a safe and sober ride home and hand the keys over to someone else – a sober friend, a taxi or public transportation.” As part of the campaign period, law enforcement is increasing the number of saturation patrols, setting up checking stations and using local media to reach out to all drivers. If you’re driving after drinking, police will stop you. If you’re caught driving impaired you could face jail time, fines, loss of driver’s license, towing fees, and other DWI expenses, totaling $ 10,000 on average. That’s not a small price, and that doesn’t even count the heftier price you could pay: the price of your life or someone else’s. Among those law enforcement officers that will be out on patrol in the coming weeks are the members of several DWI Task Force teams funded through grants awarded and administrated by GHSP. These officers are responsible for working nightly to catch impaired drivers. The DWI Task Force teams are located in: Brunswick County Columbus County Forsyth County Guilford County Mecklenburg County New Hanover County Onslow County Robeson County Wake County Wayne County NCDOT and GHSP recommend following these simple tips for a safe holiday if you plan to be on the roads: Before you head out to a company party or a family celebration, plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night by either designating a completely sober driver, downloading a ride app, checking on public transportation availability or programming a taxi number into your mobile phone. Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to get you home If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact local law enforcement immediately. If you know someone who is about to drive or ride impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to their destination. To help share the “Booze It & Lose It” message, the GHSP, in conjunction with the Department of Transportation re-launched for the holidays its marketing campaign, “Don’t Drink and Drive. You’re Smarter Than That.” The campaign focuses on building awareness of the variety of options a person has readily available to them to get them home safely after drinking. It’s never been easier to find a sober way home—including calling a friend, using a taxi, taking public transportation, ride-sharing, or designating a driver. ***NCDOT***
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