'Booze It & Lose It' Nets 2,126 Impaired Driving Arrests
9 December 1999
'Booze It & Lose It' Nets 2,126 Impaired Driving Arrests from Nov. 19-Dec. 5; GHSP Director Reminds Drivers to Stay Safe and Sober During This Holiday Season
RALEIGH, N.C., Dec. 8 -- North Carolina law enforcement
officers made 2,126 driving while impaired arrests during the last "Booze It &
Lose It" of the millennium, which lasted from Nov. 19 - Dec. 5. The arrests
are the result of 965 checkpoints and random patrols across the state. The
numbers were reported by the law enforcement agencies in each county and
compiled by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
In addition to cracking down on drunk drivers, law enforcement officers
issued 4,504 seat belt and 556 child passenger safety violations. They
discovered 16,416 other traffic violations and 1,985 total criminal
violations, including 221 felony drug charges, 78 firearms violations, and
22 fugitives from justice.
"Although 'Booze It & Lose It' has concluded, law enforcement officers
will still continue to crack down on impaired drivers during this holiday
season and into next year," said Joe Parker, director of the Governor's
Highway Safety Program. "As you get in your vehicles to travel this season,
please remember to play it safe and don't drink and drive."
During the next "Booze It & Lose It" campaign, law enforcement officers
will be upholding a new set of DWI laws, which will go into effect on
July 1, 2000. The new law, which will target repeat DWI offenders, will lower
the alcohol concentration (AC) from 0.08 to 0.04 for those who have been
convicted of one DWI and have had their license reinstated. Chronic offenders
will also be targeted by the new law, which will lower the legal AC to 0.00
for those who have been convicted of a second DWI and have had their license
reinstated. Additionally, persons convicted of having a legal AC of .16 or
greater will have to have an ignition interlock system installed in their
vehicles before they are allowed to drive.
The following are the citations issued statewide by law enforcement
officers at "Booze It & Lose It" sobriety checkpoints and random patrols from
Nov. 19-Dec. 5.
Other
DWI Occupant Restraint Traffic Violations
Total Driving Seat Belt Child Other
Checkpoints While Violations Passenger Speeding Traffic
Impaired Safety Violations
Violations Violations
Week
Nov.
19-28 586 1,401 2,810 330 10,895 9,847
Nov. 29
-Dec. 5 379 725 1,694 226 6,580 6,569
Totals 965 2,126 4,504 556 17,475 16,416
Other Criminal Violations
Traffic Violations
Total Misdemeanor Felony Firearm Stolen Fugitives
Traffic Drug Drug Violations Vehicles Arrested
Violations Violations Violations Recovered
Week
Nov.
19-28 25,283 366 128 47 22 9
Nov. 29
-Dec. 5 15,794 247 93 31 16 13
Totals 41,077 613 221 78 38 22
Criminal Violations
Other Total Total
Criminal Criminal Traffic &
Violations Violations Criminal
Not Listed Violations
Week
Nov.
19-28 806 1,378 26,661
Nov. 29
-Dec. 5 207 607 16,401
Totals 1,013 1,985 43,062
For county-by-county "Booze It & Lose It" results or for information about
other highway safety issues, contact Public Information Officer Jill Warren
Lucas or Deputy Public Information Officer Erica Hinton at 919-733-3083 or
visit our web site at: http://www.dot.state.nc.us/services/ghsp