US states increase Halloween patrols to target impaired drivers

Law enforcement agencies in North Carolina and New York are intensifying patrols and sobriety checkpoints to combat impaired, distracted, and speeding drivers during Halloween celebrations.

In North Carolina, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program is launching the annual ‘Booze It & Lose It’ campaign. Operations will span all 100 counties from October 26 to November 1, targeting drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This follows a year in which the state recorded 387 alcohol-related and 105 drug-related roadway deaths.

In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul announced a campaign running from October 25 through October 31. Funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, the initiative includes extra DWI patrols and sobriety checkpoints. Last year, the state issued over 44,000 citations during the Halloween period, including 1,210 for impaired driving and 8,701 for speeding.