In an effort to curb the persistent issue of drunk driving, Raleigh has taken a bold step with the announcement of a new Driving While Impaired Unit within the city's police force. Funded by a substantial grant, the program aims to tackle the alarming rates of alcohol- and drug-related vehicle incidents. The news, detailed in a press conference held at the City of Raleigh Law Enforcement Training Center, highlighted the unit's strategy to ensure safer roads.
Supported by a $553,707 contribution from the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program, this initiative is seen as a necessary response to the harrowing statistics of last year's 11,000 alcohol-related crashes in the state. According to Mark Ezzell, director of the Governor's Highway Safety Program, the new unit will collaboratively work to "We’re hopeful this collaboration will reduce the number deaths and serious injuries in the Raleigh area that result from alcohol- and drug-related vehicle crashes," according to the press release of North Carolina Department of Transformation.
Furthermore, the “Booze It & Lose It” campaign, commencing alongside the unit's inaugural operations, serves as a state-wide movement to deter potential drunk drivers through increased checkpoints and patrols. As noted in a statement obtained by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, law enforcement agencies will strive from today till January 4 to apprehend those under the influence behind the wheel, reflecting an earnest effort to prevent the tragedies that marred previous holiday seasons.
Raleigh's bitter acquaintance with the repercussions of impaired driving was made palpable by Mayor Janet Cowell's personal testimony. "My cousin was hit by a drunk driver and paralyzed from the waist down 27 years ago," she revealed, a narrative which amplifies the pressing reality that impaired driving is not a distant ordeal for many families, but a life-altering encounter. The grant from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program, as Cowell emphasizes, is instrumental in ensuring residents in Raleigh safe, as noted by the NCDOT.
The Raleigh Police Department's DWI Unit will not only be a force of enforcement but an educational body as well, dedicated to making Wake County's residents aware of the life-altering consequences of impaired driving. According to Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce, the GHSP grant will cover expenses for three officers on the DWI Task Force, along with the necessary gear, training, and supply costs. The repercussions for those arrested on DWI charges are severe, as Boyce conveyed, with offenders looking at jail time, loss of driving privileges and an average of $10,000 in fines, towing fees and other expenses.
