Johnston Co. Sees Problem of Revoked-License Driving

SMITHFIELD, N.C. — Johnston County's sheriff is asking county commissioners for more help to fight the ”invisible traffic violation" of driving without a license.

Sheriff Steve Bizzell says motorists continue to drive with their licenses revoked and the problem is getting worse.

"Probably 75 percent of the charges we do on any given day are for people driving without a license or with a revoked license," Bizzell said.

Eight extra deputies would help permanently conduct driver checkpoints across the county for that and other offenses.

Bizzell said many revoked licenses are the result of more serious offenses.

"Individuals charged with driving drunk -- they lose their driver's license from the magistrate, get up the next morning, get out of jail and get in their vehicle and drive again," he said.

Those kind of actions can have deadly consequences, Bizzell said.

Law enforcement officers say drivers with revoked licenses are a concern everywhere. Last year, there were 321,000 North Carolinians who had a revoked license.

In Wake County last year, for example, 3,000 people were convicted for driving with a revoked license. That's about 900 less than Durham County, where sheriff's deputies there are conducting a crackdown on the issue.