Holiday ‘Booze It & Lose It’ kicks off today

RALEIGH, NC (NEWS RELEASE) — State Transportation Secretary Gene Conti announced today that state and local law enforcement officers will be out in force as part of the Holiday “Booze It & Lose It” campaign. Checkpoints and stepped-up patrols will be conducted beginning today through Wednesday, Jan. 2, across North Carolina in an effort to remove impaired drivers from the roads.

“Make the responsible decision to designate a driver if you plan to drink this holiday season,” Conti said. “The choice you make could save a life.”

In 2011, there were more than 950 alcohol-related crashes in North Carolina during the holiday campaign, which ran from Dec. 3 through Jan. 2, resulting in 44 fatalities and 702 injuries.

Officers charged more than 3,600 North Carolina motorists with driving while impaired during the 2011 Holiday “Booze It & Lose It” campaign. More than 10,000 stepped-up patrols and checkpoints were conducted.