By Bryce Little
Market Coordinator

North Carolina’s Holiday “Booze It & Lose It” campaign netted more than 3,000 DWI arrests. As North Carolina citizens were partying over the holidays, law enforcement officers were out in full force from December 13, 2013  through January 5, 2014, stopping vehicles and using breathalyzer test checkpoints to monitor the sobriety of  those behind the wheel. This effort resulted in an arrest total of 3,164 DWI drivers across North Carolina.

The holiday “Booze It & Lose It” campaign was designed to stop drinking and driving during the holiday season, which is always a dangerous period of time in terms of drinking and driving offenders. Late December and early January, historically, have been the most prevalent time for drinking and driving accidents and fatalities.

But drinking and driving wasn’t the only violation committed during this period. 6,285 seat belt and 1,086 child passenger violation tickets were also issued, along with speeding and drug charges.

The top five counties for DWI arrests during the Holiday “Booze it & Lose it “ campaign:

1. Wake County: Issued 329 DWI arrests

2. Mecklenburg County: Issued 261 DWI arrests

3. Guilford County: Issued 197 DWI arrests

4. Forsyth County: Issued 157 DWI arrests

5. Cumberland County: Issued 103 DWI arrests

The “Booze it & Lose it” campaign may have concluded, but the state’s law enforcement will remain as dedicated as ever in keeping North Carolina’s roads safe by reducing drinking and driving accidents and fatalities. So make a pledge to remain both accident and ticket free throughout 2014.

Whether it’s appointing a designated driver , calling a taxi or calling Safe Ride Home, a service in which someone comes to pick you up and take you home in your own car, there is always an alternative to drinking and driving.