18-Day Booze It And Lose It Campaign Nets 2700 DWI Arrests

Nearly 100,000 citations were handed out and close to 3,000 DWI arrests made it the statewide “Booze It & Lose It” campaign that ran from August 17 through September 3. Across North Carolina, 7,800 DWI checkpoints were used to stop and search drivers who may be in violation of criminal and traffic laws.

Of the 2,700 drunk driving arrests, 209 were made in Wake County alone.

North Carolina Secretary of Transportation Gene Conti considers the campaign a success,” These numbers show that law enforcement officers across the state worked diligently to make North Carolina’s roads safer during this campaign.”

For those who were arrested for drunk driving, impaired driving or on another charge at one of the checkpoints, a Raleigh criminal defense attorney can help you understand the charges against you and the potential penalties if you are convicted or plead guilty.

Whether it is your first DWI offense or your fourth (or more), penalties for driving while impaired in North Carolina are severe. You may lose your driver’s license, have to pay steep fines and spend time in prison if you are convicted of drunk driving.

If you refused to consent to a breath test during the stop, you have a limited amount of time to request a hearing from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to contest the revocation of your driver’s license for violation of the implied consent law.

Officers also cited drivers for seat belt violations, child safety seat violations, speeding and drug charges. Over 2,000 people were brought in who had outstanding warrants; 135 stolen cars were recovered.

Source: WRAL.com, “State makes more than 2,700 DWI arrests during crackdown,” September 13, 2012