'Booze It & Lose It' Nets 2,372 Impaired Driving Arrests From June 30 - July 16
20 July 2000
GHSP Director Reminds Motorists of the Consequences of Drinking and DrivingRALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina law enforcement officers made 2,372 driving while impaired arrests during the summer 2000 "Booze It & Lose It" campaign, which lasted from June 30 - July 16. The arrests are the result of 1,444 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 7,708 seat belt and 926 child passenger safety violations. They discovered 12,729 other traffic violations and 4,173 total criminal violations, including 132 felony drug charges, 62 firearms violations, and 15 fugitives from justice. "We are fortunate to live in a state where DWI laws are some of the toughest on the books," said Joe Parker, director of the Governor's Highway Safety Program. "With our new DWI laws in hand, law enforcement officers are able to target repeat offenders harder than ever before to ensure that motorists are the safest they can possibly be." Motorists should also keep in mind that, effective September 1, a law will go into effect to prohibit all open containers of alcohol inside a vehicle. Currently, the driver is prohibited from having an open container of alcohol, however both front- and backseat passengers are allowed to open containers of beer and wine. The following are the citations issued statewide by law enforcement officers at "Booze It & Lose It" sobriety checkpoints and random patrols from June 30 - July 16. DWI Occupant Child Driving Passenger Week Total While Seat Belt Safety Checkpoints Impaired Violations Violations and Patrols Violations June 30- July 9 842 1,474 4,744 596 July 10-16 602 898 2,964 330 Totals 1,444 2,372 7,708 926 Other Traffic Violations Criminal Violations Week Speeding Other Total Misdemeanor Felony Traffic Traffic Drug Drug Violations Violations Violations Violations June 30- July 9 1,190 7,689 32,218 284 69 July 10-16 7,591 5,040 20,496 197 63 Totals 8,781 12,729 52,714 481 132 Criminal Violations Other Stolen Fugitives Criminal Week Firearm Vehicles Arrested Violations Violations Recovered Not Listed June 30- July 9 28 42 8 1,939 July 10-16 34 22 7 1,559 Totals 62 64 15 3,498 Criminal Violations Total Week Total Traffic & Criminal Criminal Violations Violations June 30- July 9 2,320 34,538 July 10-16 1,853 22,349 Totals 4,173 56,887