N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Eugene Conti recently announced state and local law enforcement officers will be out in force over the Fourth of July holiday as part of the “Booze It & Lose It: Operation Firecracker” campaign.
Checkpoints and stepped-up patrols will be conducted Monday, June 27 through Monday, July 4 across the state in an effort to remove impaired drivers from the roads.
“Driving while impaired puts everyone on the roads at risk,” Conti said. “If you have anything to drink, please find a safe ride home.”
In 2010, there were 205 alcohol-related crashes during the Independence holiday week, resulting in six fatalities. Alcohol-related crashes also accounted for 105 injuries in the state during the same week last year.
Officers charged more than 1,200 North Carolina motorists with driving while impaired during the 2010 “Booze It & Lose It: Operation Firecracker” campaign. More than 4,600 stepped-up patrols and checkpoints were conducted.
For more information regarding “Booze It & Lose It” or for citation totals, contact Don Nail at 919-733-3083, or visit the Governor’s Highway Safety Program website, www.ncdot.programs/ghsp.