Posted on 07/09/2003 2:36:49 PM PDT by chance33_98
'Booze It & Lose It' Yields 1,137 DWI Arrests in Second Week; Lawler Family to Recall Kill Devil Hills Tragedy at Outer Banks Event
7/9/03 5:00:00 PM
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To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor
Contact: Jill Warren Lucas of the Governor's Highway Safety Program, 919-733-3083, (cell: 919-291-6729), jwlucas@dot.state.nc.us
News Advisory:
What:
"Booze It & Lose It" Press Event
When:
10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 10
Where:
Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kill Devil Hills
A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer's patrol car was damaged in a hit-and-run crash caused by an impaired driver following a "Booze It & Lose It" enforcement event.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg officer's new, unmarked patrol car was struck minutes after a July 4 drunken driving checkpoint with one of the state's breath-alcohol testing mobile units, better known as BATMobiles, had ended. A female driver hit his vehicle and fled the scene but was soon apprehended. Her breath-alcohol content (BAC) measured .12. She was arrested for DWI, hit and run, and no operator's license. No one was injured.
Statewide, law enforcement officers arrested a total of 1,137 motorists for driving while impaired (DWI) during the second week of the summer "Booze It & Lose It" campaign. That includes 115 impaired drivers under the legal drinking age of 21. Since the campaign began on June 26, a total of 1,907 DWI arrests have been made.
The Week 2 arrests are a result of 1,994 checkpoints and stepped-up patrols conducted statewide between June 30-July 6. Counties with the highest number of DWI citations include Wake (96), Cumberland (80), Mecklenburg (46).
In addition to cracking down on impaired drivers, officers last week issued 3,920 seat belt and 619 child passenger safety violations. They discovered a total of 32,310 traffic and criminal violations, including 366 drug charges, 36 firearm violations, and 24 fugitives from justice. They also recovered 18 stolen vehicles.
A final "Booze It & Lose It" press event will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk are ranked Nos. 1-2-3 for their high rates of DWI incidents in North Carolina cities with populations of less than 10,000.
Speakers will include GHSP Acting Director Don Nail, Kitty Hawk Police Chief Bob Morris, and Erin and Jessica Lawler of Kill Devil Hills. Their 17-year-old sister Shana was one of four teens killed in the infamous April 1999 Kills Devil Hills crash. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held at Kill Devil Hills Town Council, Colington Road. BATMobile checkpoints will follow that evening in Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills.
"Booze It & Lose It" continues through Sunday, July 13. See Statewide Citation Report below. A final statewide tally will be released on July 16.
STATEWIDE TOTALS
Total Checkpoints and Patrols June 23-29........1,014 June 30-July 6....1,994
DWI -- Driving While Impaired Violations
June 23-29..........770 June 30-July 6....1,137 TOTAL.............1,907
Occupant Restraint
-- Seat Belt Violations June 23-29........2,549 June 30-July 6....3,920 TOTAL.............6,469
-- Child Passenger Safety Violations June 23-29..........346 June 30-July 6......619 TOTAL...............965
Traffic Violations
-- Speeding June 23-29........6,013 June 30-July 6...11,188 TOTAL............17,201
-- Total Traffic Violations June 23-29.......17,547 June 30-July 6...31,123 TOTAL............48,670
Criminal Violations
-- Drug Violations June 23-29..........276 June 30-July 6......366 TOTAL...............642
-- Firearm Violations June 23-29...........14 June 30-July 6.......36 TOTAL................50
-- Stolen Vehicles Recovered (note) June 23-29...........10 June 30-July 6.......18 TOTAL................28
-- Fugitives Arrested (note) June 23-29...........13 June 30-July 6.......24 TOTAL................37
-- Other Criminal Violations Not Listed June 23-29..........325 June 30-July 6......785 TOTAL.............1,110
-- Total Criminal Violations June 23-29..........615 June 30-July 6....1,187 TOTAL.............1,802
Total Traffic & Criminal Violations
June 23-29.......18,162 June 30-July 6...32,310 TOTAL............50,472
Note: These columns are not counted into overall total of violations.
-- BATMobile checkpoints are scheduled for Thursday in Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, Greenville, Goldsboro and Fayetteville. Friday's events are planned for Rocky Mount, Wilmington, Graham, Elizabeth City and Red Springs. Checkpoints are planned for Saturday in Wilson, Leland, Greensboro, Ahoskie and Shelby.
-- Call local law enforcement agencies to learn more about their "Booze It & Lose It" activities.
For a schedule of "Booze It & Lose It" BATMobile checkpoints, or for a list of the DWI rankings by city, call GHSP Public Information Officer Jill Warren Lucas at 919-733-3083 (cell: 919-291-6729), or visit GHSP's Web site at: http://www.ncdot.org/secretary/ghsp
While I personally think that seatbelt laws are "stupid" and that drunk driving limits are "arbitrary and do not necessarily corollate to impairment", I think that citizens of a State (not the Federal govt, which has mandated the BAC %'s) have the right to set restrictions on seatbelt useage and BAC %'s. While the primary immediate beneficiary, besides yourself and family, for the seatbelt laws are insurance company, I agree that States have a right to make this part of the contract for driving privilage.
Drunk driving is "stupid", "dangerous", "harmful", and violates the contract that you make with the State in which you are driving (I don't think any state allows you to drive drunk). It may not fit the legal definition of fraud, however I think most folks would agree that using the roads "fraudulently", i.e. outside the terms of your contract, is a lose useage of "fraud". You're splitting hairs.
You have made up mind about libertarianism, so I will not bother confusing you with the facts. To say that libertarianism is a precursor for totalitarianism shows just how uninformed you are on the subject. No matter.
Regardless, I do NOT approve of roadblocks to check for DUI, seatbelts, firearms, valid registration...
But if the public gets together and creates a community ....all of a sudden the "initiate force or fraud" mantra is heard.
But when the government tries to reduce their medical costs by mandating seat belts or helmets or BAC, suddenly we have this fascist state.
Get off the government teat, then you can have your freedoms back.
Then each person gets to decide for themselves what is "fraud" and what is "force". Do you want to go into a business where the law is determined by 300million legislators, 300 million judges, and 300 million juries?
highway checkpoint - shades of 1930s GermanyWe had the local PD set one of these up near the bar a couple weeks ago. I called about eight nearby bars to let them know to tell their customers not to go that way. Hopefully they made so few arrests the powers-that-be will decide it was a waste of time.
One of our semi-regulars walked down the streets and was lecturing the people waiting in line about their constitutional rights. The checkpoint guards threatened to arrest him, until he dared them too. They seemed in poor humor. I hope the calls worked. >:)
-Eric
Where "perfectly well functioning" means that the drunk driver hasn't killed anybody yet. However, after he has run over someone, Libertarian theology holds that the victim's family could file suit to recover damages.
That's news to me. I would certainly hope it's not true for most people here.
Where "perfectly well functioning" means that the drunk driver hasn't killed anybody yet.
Are you retarded? I very clearly wrote that I have no problem with a cop pulling somebody over if his driving leads the cop to suspect he may be drunk.
However, after he has run over someone, Libertarian theology holds that the victim's family could file suit to recover damages.
Nevermind. You are obviously retarded. Libertarian theology (whatever the hell that is) holds that a person who assaults or kills another person should go to jail.
Like running over someone?
Like running over someone?
That would be a valid indicator. So would weaving across lanes, hanging out the window ranting inanely about the horrors of libertarianism, driving over curbs, rolling through stop signs, etc.
You know, things drunk people do.
That would be a valid indicator.
So absent a "valid indicator", such as running over someone, he should be able to drive on our public streets as drunk as wants.
You could use that POV to fertilize the garden.
You're drunk and retarded.
No, just a zero content to noise ratio.
But your thick head effectively shields your brain, so that my position doesn't get through. You can only continue to insist that I think people should be free to drive drunk until they've hit somebody.
I'm sorry, but I can only conclude that you are either intentionally being obtuse, or you are a total idiot.
I suspect the latter, but either way, I'm done dealing with you. Have a nice day.
No cops around, pop the top and gun it. Be sure to water after you fertilize.
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