Though thousands of alcohol-related crashes take place in North Carolina every year, police have noted that the majority of them occur at certain times of the year. The holiday season, for instance, sees a relatively large number of DWI cases, as does the 4th of July. Police officers commonly set out extra patrols during these times of the year to discourage drunk driving.
Authorities in Raleigh recently announced the start of a seasonal crackdown campaign intended to coincide with end of the summer holidays and Labor Day weekend. According to the Department of Transportation, a statewide “Booze It & Lose It” campaign began last weekend and will continue to run through September 2.
As part of this campaign, the government will run public service announcements on TV and on social media websites that will discourage young people from drinking and driving. Authorities say this is a particularly dangerous time of the year for young people because they often drink to celebrate the last few days of summer before going back to school.
As part of this campaign, police officers will be out on North Carolina’s roads in full force, seeking out any drivers who appear to be intoxicated. Such campaigns are often effective at catching a large number of drunk drivers, though there is always a danger that in their desire to stamp out drunk driving, a few innocent drivers may be mistakenly accused as well. During a traffic stop, police officers must always remember to follow proper procedure, especially during a large-scale crackdown. Those who feel they may have been charged improperly should consider speaking to an attorney about their rights and responsibilities under the law.
Source: WRAL-TV, “NC launches campaign against drunken driving” No Author Given, Aug. 18, 2013