Play it safe on St. Patrick's Day, don't drink and drive

Raleigh, N.C. — State and local law enforcement officers will be cracking down this weekend as part of Governor Perdue's Highway Safety Program’s “Booze It & Lose It” St. Patrick’s Day campaign.

There were 156 alcohol-related crashes on state roads last St. Patrick’s Day weekend, which ended in four fatalities and 120 injuries, according to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. The “Booze It & Lose It” campaign begins Friday and ends March 17.

Officers will conduct stepped-up patrols and checkpoints statewide throughout the weekend.

Troopers ask motorists to:

• Plan a safe way home before a celebration begins.
• If you are impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, do not hesitate to call your local law enforcement.
• If you know someone who is about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get where they are going safely.