State and local law enforcement officers will be out in force over the next two weeks as part of the Labor Day Booze It & Lose It campaign.

Increased patrols and checkpoints, which began Monday, will be conducted statewide through September 10, to keep impaired drivers off North Carolina roads.  

“Keeping people safe has to be job one for all of us,” North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said. “If you drink and drive, you will get caught. Protect yourself and others – never operate a motor vehicle if you’ve been drinking.”

The Booze It & Lose It campaign aims to eliminate impaired driving using outreach and stepped-up law enforcement efforts. Nearly every law enforcement agency in North Carolina participates in the 29-year-old campaign.

Alcohol is a leading contributor to fatal crashes in North Carolina, according to crash data compiled by the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles. 

Between 2017 and 2022, North Carolina has averaged more than one alcohol-related vehicle fatality each day. 

Last year, there were 462 alcohol-related fatalities on North Carolina roads and 16 of those deaths came during the Labor Day period.

“This Labor Day, we want you to plan ahead by arranging a sober ride home from any festivities that might involve alcohol or other impairing substances,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program, a part of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. “Law Enforcement will be working extra patrols during this campaign to keep all motorists safe by catching those who don’t heed this message. There’s really no excuse.”