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Law Enforcement Ready to Remove Drunk Drivers From Roadways

20 November 2000

Law Enforcement Ready to Remove Drunk Drivers From Roadways; Simultaneous 'Booze It & Lose It' Kickoffs Emphasize Need to Buckle Up Children

    RALEIGH, N.C., Nov. 17 Law enforcement officers across the
state are on high alert for impaired drivers, particularly those who travel
with children.  They gathered today in Raleigh, Greensboro and Charlotte for
simultaneous kickoff events for the fall "Booze It & Lose It" campaign.
Checkpoints with the state's three breath-alcohol testing units (BAT Mobiles)
and stepped-up patrols will be held this weekend and throughout the campaign,
which continues through December 3.
    The three kickoff events were held to draw special attention to the
campaign's theme of buckling up children to protect them from impaired
drivers.  According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, nearly
two of every three children killed in alcohol-related crashes are passengers
riding with an impaired driver.  In the majority of these cases, the impaired
driver didn't have the presence of mind to make sure the child was buckled up.
    In fact, child restraint use decreased both as the child's age and the
blood-alcohol concentration of the child's driver increased.  According to the
study, "the more alcohol the drivers consumed, the less likely the child was
to be buckled up."
    "These children did not die because a drunk driver in another vehicle
crashed into their car," said Joe Parker, director of the Governor's Highway
Safety Program (GHSP), who spoke in Greensboro.  "They died because their own
driver -- the adult who was responsible for their safety -- was impaired."
    North Carolina crash data supports this deadly national trend.  In 1997,
11 unrestrained children ages 16 or younger died while riding with a drunk
driver, and another 162 were injured.  Most of these victims were children who
had outgrown traditional safety seats and were allowed to ride completely
unrestrained.  The same was true last year, when drunk drivers in North
Carolina were responsible for the deaths of three unrestrained children and
the injuries suffered by another 132.
    At least three North Carolina children under age 16 have died in similar
circumstances already this year.
    Law enforcement officers involved with the crash investigations described
tragic examples of this disturbing category.  Officers reminded motorists that
North Carolina's new child passenger safety law goes into effect December 1.
Drivers who fail to ensure that all children under age 16 are properly
restrained will face two points on their driver's license.
    Also speaking at the kickoffs were Cheryl Jones, member of the board of
directors of the national Mothers Against Drunk Driving (Charlotte); Judy
Wallace, first president of North Carolina MADD (Raleigh); and Nancy Smirnow,
president of People United for Safer Highways (Greensboro).
    The kickoffs also served to debut a new flyer that will be available soon
in most ABC Stores statewide.  They are printed in English and Spanish and
will be placed in the bag along with the bottle.  The flyers describe the
tough consequences of driving after drinking, and are meant to help consumers
make smart decisions about their own conduct.  The project is a partnership
between the GHSP and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.
    Parker commended the law enforcement officers gathered in Raleigh,
Greensboro and Charlotte, as well as their colleagues who stand ready in their
own communities.
    "They have pledged to be on the lookout for drunk and drugged drivers, and
to stop them before they harm themselves or others," he said.  "I ask that all
drivers accept their responsibility to be safe and sober, and to make a
special effort to ensure that all children are buckled up."