The message from the Governor's Highway Safety Program is straightforward and timely—don't drink and drive. The holiday season comes with renewed pleas to the public, but this year there's a more aggressive push. By partnering with local and state law enforcement, the GHSP is rolling out the "Holiday Booze It & Lose It" campaign, aimed at deterring impaired driving through increased patrols and sobriety checkpoints in all 100 counties of North Carolina.
According to a statement by GHSP Director Mark Ezzell, the campaign's objective is to reduce incidents of impaired driving, which remains both deadly and unlawful. "Driving under the influence is deadly and illegal, and it should never be an option for getting home," said Ezzell. Beyond just raising awareness, the campaign provides a stark reminder of the grim statistics from the past year, where 12,146 vehicle crashes in the state involved an impaired driver, out of which 394 crashes resulted in fatalities.
From yesterday through to January 5th, North Carolinians can expect to encounter these elevated enforcement measures. The launch event for today's campaign took place at WakeMed's Raleigh campus and was attended by healthcare professionals and law enforcement officials who underscored the importance of the program.
According to the statement, "Our mission is clear: to save lives by preventing impaired driving," Joseph Guzman, a registered nurse at UNC Health and the founder of Nurses Against Drunk Driving, told the audience. With healthcare professionals stepping into advocacy roles, the campaign serves an additional purpose education.
