The Jacksonville Police Department will be participating in the NC Governor’s Highway Safety Program’s St. Patrick’s Day “Booze It & Lose It” campaign. It will begin today and end on Sunday, March 19, 2017. The program requests that law enforcement officers across North Carolina focus on DWI enforcement during this time.
Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report that in 2015, 415 North Carolinians lost their lives as a result of alcohol-related crashes. There was one impaired driving fatality on Jacksonville roadways in 2015 and none in 2016.
If you attend a party this weekend, consume alcohol and choose to get behind the wheel, you face possible arrest, along with fines and court costs of up to $10,000. You could also, in a worst case scenario, be involved in a crash that takes someone else’s life.
“Don’t get behind the wheel after you’ve been drinking – period” stated Lieutenant Sean Magill, JPD Field Operations Supervisor. “If you are planning to drink, plan ahead and appoint a designated driver – or program the phone number of a cab company into your cell phone.”
“One bad decision can cost you your life, or the life of someone else.” said Chief Mike Yaniero, Director of Public Safety.