Special to Iredell Free News

​RALEIGH – The Christmas lights won’t be the only thing lighting up the night this holiday season.

Law enforcement officers will be stepping up patrols across the state through January 2 to stop impaired drivers as part of the Booze It & Lose It holiday enforcement effort.

“If you’re out celebrating this holiday season, make sure you have a sober ride home,” said Mark Ezzell, program director of the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program (NCGHSP). “If you drive under the influence, you have a lot to lose. Not only could you kill yourself or someone else, but you could face thousands of dollars in court costs and fines, jail time, or a revoked license.”

The Booze It & Lose It holiday enforcement effort is the largest of such campaigns operated each year by the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program. During the 2020 campaign, officers issued more than 1,700 violations for driving while intoxicated.

NCGHSP will be supporting the campaign through a combination of paid media advertising and social media outreach.

To date, 326 people have lost their lives on North Carolina roads in impaired driving crashes in 2021.

The NCGHSP reminds all travelers to stay safe on the roads this holiday season by:

♦ Never driving impaired and always finding a safe ride home;
♦ Buckling your seatbelt when riding in any seat in the vehicle; and
♦ Following the speed limit.

LEARN MORE

For more driver safety tips and program information, follow us N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program on Facebook and @NC_GHSP on Twitter and Instagram.