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'Booze It & Lose It' Nets 2,039 Impaired Driving Arrests

7 December 2000

'Booze It & Lose It' Nets 2,039 Impaired Driving Arrests From Nov. 17-Dec. 3

  GHSP Director Urges Motorists to Remember Impaired Driving Message During
                                Holiday Season

    RALEIGH, N.C., Dec. 6 North Carolina law enforcement
officers made 2,039 driving while impaired (DWI) arrests during the fall 2000
"Booze It & Lose It" campaign, which lasted from Nov. 17-Dec. 3.  The arrests
are the result of 1,345 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 6,085 seat belt and 732 child passenger safety violations.  They
discovered 11,880 other traffic violations and 1,843 total criminal
violations, including 58 felony drug charges, 33 firearms violations and 13
fugitives from justice.
    "Don't be fooled just because the "Booze It & Lose It" campaign has
wrapped up for this year," said Joe Parker, director of the Governor's Highway
Safety Program.  "As we enter into the holiday season, I want motorists to
know that law enforcement officers statewide will still be out in full force
to target drunk drivers.  So please, if you've been drinking, remember to
choose a designated driver."
    Parker added that fatalities on North Carolina roads are especially high
during the three-day Christmas holiday season, with nine people dying in
crashes during this time last year.  Not only can motorists make the roads
safer by refusing to drink and drive, but they should also remember to always
buckle up themselves and their children each and every time they are on the
road.
    The following are the citations issued statewide by law enforcement
officers at "Booze It & Lose It" sobriety checkpoints and random patrols from
Nov. 17-Dec. 3.

                                DWI          Occupant Restraint


    Week            Total       Driving    Seat Belt       Child
                    Chkpts      While      Violations      Passenger
                    and         Impaired                   Safety
                    Patrols     Violations                 Violations

    Nov. 17-26        778         1,320       3,935          493

    Nov. 27- Dec. 3   567           719       2,150          239

    Totals          1,345         2,039       6,085          732



                              Other Traffic Violations
    Week            Speeding           Other             Total
                                       Traffic           Traffic
                                       Violations        Violations

    Nov. 17-26      12,953              7,389            29,536

    Nov. 27- Dec. 3  7,227              4,491            16,663

    Totals          20,180             11,880            46,119

                                Criminal Violations

    Week               Misdemeanor     Felony         Firearm        Stolen
                       Drug            Drug           Violations     Vehicles
                       Violations      Violations                    Recovered
    Nov. 17-26           391             35             20             16

    Nov. 27- Dec. 3      128             23             13             14

    Totals               519             58             33             30



                                Criminal Violations
    Week      Fugitives         Other            Total            Total
              Arrested          Criminal         Criminal         Traffic &
                                Violations       Violations       Criminal
                                Not Listed                        Violations

    Nov. 17-26    13              568              1,043            30,579

    Nov. 27-
    Dec. 3         0              622                800            17,463

    Totals        13            1,190              1,843            48,042