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3,164 arrested for drunk driving in North Carolina over the holidays

Posted at 2:00 PM, Jan 15, 2014
and last updated 2014-01-15 14:02:33-05

Santa was not the only one who made a naughty list over the holidays.

Law enforcement officers across North Carolina patrolled day and night, catching drivers who got behind the wheel impaired.

Officers arrested 3,164 people for driving drunk during the Holiday “Booze It & Lose It” campaign, which ran from Dec. 13, 2013, to Jan. 5.

“We thank the law enforcement officers who worked tirelessly to keep our roads safe while families and friends gathered together over the holidays,” said Don Nail, director of the NC Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “Our efforts to keep those who travel on North Carolina highways safe will continue each and every day, until we reach our goal of zero highway fatalities.”

The top five counties for DWI arrests during the Holiday “Booze It & Lose It” campaign include:

• Wake County with 329 DWI arrests;
• Mecklenburg County had 261 DWI arrests;
• Guilford County had 197 DWI arrests;
• Forsyth County had 157 DWI arrests; and
• Cumberland County had 103 DWI arrests.

In addition to DWI arrests, local and state law enforcement officers issued 116,423 traffic and criminal citations statewide.

Officers issued 6,285 safety belt and 1,086 child passenger safety violations; 32,737 speeding violations and 4,042 drug charges. In addition, they apprehended 3,232 fugitives from justice and recovered 190 stolen vehicles.