EDENTON – The Edenton Police Department would like to remind our citizens and visitors this holiday season: if you Booze It, you will Lose It!
On Dec. 11, we held a checkpoint in that resulted in 30 cars checked with one citation and two warnings issued. Future checkpoints are on the way, so we would like to take this time and remind residents to not drink and drive ANY time of the year. You could be saving a life by staying at home.
In addition to the risk of taking someone else’s life, motorists caught driving while impaired could face jail time, lose their driving privileges and pay an average of $10,000 in fines, towing fees and other expenses associated with a DWI.
Even with the success of Booze It & Lose It, however, more than 9,000 people have lost their lives in alcohol-related crashes in North Carolina since the program's introduction in 1994. This is a sobering statistic that we hope will alert more of our residents and visitors to stay where you are if you are impaired, or rely on a friend or family member to drive you home. It’s not worth taking another life. This should be something we can all agree on.
Every cloud has a silver lining though. Last year, Chowan County recorded only 45 traffic violations from the holiday Booze It & Lose It campaign. This was the lowest total across the entire state. We commend our residents for being responsible.
“We would like to give a special shoutout to the Governor’s Highway Safety Program,” said Chief King. “Their initiatives year-round help inform our citizens and keep them safer on the roads. While there has been much progress, there is still much to be done. Join us in reminding your family and friends that if you Booze It, you will Lose it.”
For more information on the Booze It & Lose It campaign, visit https://www.ncdot.gov/programs/ghsp/initiatives/boozeitandloseit/defaul….