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Nearly 600 Drunk Drivers Arrested Statewide During Halloween “Booze It & Lose It” Campaign

Last Updated on November 13, 2014 12:55 pm

During this year’s Halloween “Booze It & Lose It” campaign, law enforcement officers from across the state arrested 583 drunk drivers before they could create real life nightmares on North Carolina’s roadways.

“The safety and security of our citizens is a top priority of our administration and North Carolina’s law enforcement,” said Governor Pat McCrory. “North Carolina’s ‘Booze It & Lose It’ Campaign is saving lives in our state and I’m proud of their efforts on Halloween, and every day of the year.”

The top five counties for DWI arrests during the Halloween “Booze It & Lose It” campaign include:
• Wake County with 69 DWI arrests;
• Mecklenburg County with 61 DWI arrests;
• Forsyth County with 33 DWI arrests;
• Guilford County with 27 DWI arrests; and
• Brunswick County with 21 DWI arrests.

Nearly 400 law enforcement agencies participated in the Halloween “Booze It & Lose It” campaign, which ran from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2. Officers issued 16,854 traffic and criminal citations at 1,701 checking stations and saturation patrols across the state.

To complement the increased enforcement efforts, the N.C. Department of Transportation and Governor’s Highway Safety Program expanded their use of Twitter and Facebook to remind drivers to designate a sober driver. In particular, they used social media to target males 18-34 years old, which research shows are more likely to drink and drive.

Below are some of the stats for the High Country from the report:

Checkpoints: Watauga – 0, Ashe – 0 , Avery – 0
Number of Saturation Patrol: Watauga – 12, Ashe – 3, Avery – 1
Number of Checkpoints and Patrols: Watauga – 12, Ashe – 3, Avery – 1

Under 21 DWI Charges: Watauga – 2, Ashe – 0, Avery – 0
21 and Over DWI Charges: Watauga – 7, Ashe – 1, Avery – 0
TOTAL DWI: Watauga – 9, Ashe – 1, Avery – 0

Safety Belt Violations: Watauga – 0, Ashe – 4, Avery – 4
Child Passenger Safety: Watauga – 0, Ashe – 0, Avery – 1
Total Occupant Restraint Charges: Watauga – 0, Ashe – 4, Avery – 5

Drug Violations: Watauga – 6, Ashe – 0, Avery – 0
Stolen Vehicles Recovered: Watauga – 0, Ashe – 0, Avery – 0
Fugitives Arrested: Watauga – 0, Ashe – 0, Avery – 0
Felony Arrests: Watauga – 0, Ashe – 0, Avery – 0
Other Criminal Violations: Watauga – 4, Ashe – 0 , Avery – 0
Total Criminal Violations: Watauga – 10, Ashe – 0, Avery – 0

Speeding: Watauga – 26, Ashe – 1, Avery – 20
Drive While License Revoked: Watauga – 1, Ashe – 1, Avery – 1
Other Traffic Violations Not Listed: Watauga – 37, Ashe – 10, Avery -6

Uninsured Motorist: Watauga – 8, Ashe – 0, Avery – 0
Reckless Driving: Watauga – 6, Ashe – 0, Avery 0
Total Traffic and Criminal Violations: Watauga – 83, Ashe – 17, Avery – 32

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