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Halloween Booze It & Lose It Enforcement Campaign Kicks Off Statewide Oct. 24

Phyllis Coley @phyllis_coley

RALEIGH – There’s nothing scarier than the consequences of driving while impaired. To discourage drivers from getting behind the wheel after drinking this Halloween, law enforcement will be stepping up patrols and using checkpoints and saturation patrols as part of the statewide Booze It & Lose It campaign Oct. 24-31.

HALLOWEEN“Many families will be hitting the streets this Halloween season to enjoy trick-or-treating and we want everyone to have a good time,” said Mark Ezzell, director of N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “People who drink and drive can turn a good time into a tragedy. If you’re going to drink, never get behind the wheel.”

Instead, people who decide to drink should find a sober ride home by phoning a friend or calling a taxi or a ride service, Ezzell said.

More than 250 people have been killed this year in alcohol-related crashes in North Carolina. In 2021, 423 people died on North Carolina roads due to alcohol-related crashes. Twenty-eight of those deaths occurred during the Halloween Booze It & Lose It enforcement campaign period. 

Driving while impaired can also be expensive. People charged with DWI can lose their license and pay thousands of dollars in court fees.  

“With large numbers of people out and about, and days getting shorter – it’s more imperative than ever to make good decisions when you get behind the wheel, so we can keep everyone safe this Halloween season,” Ezzell said. 

About Governor’s Highway Safety Program

Dedicated to reducing the number of traffic crashes and fatalities in North Carolina, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program promotes efforts to reduce traffic crashes in North Carolina and promotes highway safety awareness through a variety of grants and safe-driving initiatives. 

These grants as well as initiatives – like Click It or Ticket, Booze It & Lose It, BikeSafe NC, Watch For Me NC, and Speed a Little. Lose a Lot. – help address issues such as impaired driving, seat belt use, speeding, distracted driving, motorcycle safety, bicycle safety, pedestrian safety, and other aspects of highway safety.

GHSP also helps fund North Carolina’s Vision Zero initiative, which is working to meet the goal of zero deaths on the state’s roadways through community involvement and data-driven safety interventions.