You may see fewer DWI checkpoints throughout Raleigh on New Year’s Eve but don’t confuse that with fewer patrols. Rather than setting up stationary roadblocks to police for drunk drivers, the Raleigh Police and the Highway Patrol will be stepping up the number of officers on patrol.
Law enforcement plans to move throughout the city during the night, some in unmarked cruisers, on the lookout for impaired drivers.
The switch to moving patrols from static checkpoints is intended to eliminate much of the pre-work in setting up checkpoints, allow officers to be mobile throughout the city and better focus law enforcement efforts on impaired drivers. Only one third of checkpoint arrests last December were for DWI; the remaining arrests were for other crimes, including drug possession or stolen cars.
The Highway Patrol will continue its “Booze It and Lose It” holiday anti-drunk driving campaign throughout the rest of North Carolina, utilizing checkpoints to stop impaired drivers. Several roadblocks are scheduled for the Charlotte area.
If you drink on New Year’s Eve, or any other time, don’t drive. Call a cab, designate a driver or find another way of getting home. If you are arrested for drunk driving, you still have legal rights. A North Carolina DWI defense attorney can help you understand the process and minimize any consequences.
Over 400 people were killed in drunk driving accidents in North Carolina last year. The North Carolina Department of Transportation reported that there were more than 12,000 motor vehicle accidents in 2011 that involved a drunk or drugged driver.
Source: WRAL, “DWI Checkpoints Will Not Be Out In Force For New Year’s Eve,” December 30, 2012