Law Enforcement Plan Statewide Crackdown on Drunken Drivers
State and local law enforcement officers will be out in force over the weekend as part of a St. Patrick’s Day “Booze It & Lose It” campaign.
Posted — Updated
Gov. Mike Easley announced Friday that highway checkpoints and stepped-up patrols will be in place to remind people not to drink and drive and arrest those who do not heed that warning.
“Drinking and driving do not mix,” Easley said. “I urge people to be smart and stay safe this St. Patrick’s Day holiday.”
Thirty-six alcohol-related crashes were reported on North Carolina roads last St. Patrick’s Day, which resulted in three fatalities and 23 injuries, according to the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles.
Some of the state’s six mobile breath-alcohol testing units, or BATmobiles, will be utilized as officers conduct patrols and checkpoints statewide. The campaign will run through Sunday.
The Governor’s Highway Safety Program advised partiers to plan ahead and designate a driver who doesn’t consume alcohol. People who believe they might be impaired are urged to call a taxi, use mass transit, or to call a friend or family member to pick them up, rather than engage in drunken driving.
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