If you’re thinking about going out drinking and then driving on New Year’s Eve – or any other night for that matter – well, local law enforcement officials are reminding people that Guilford County has one of the most active and effective Driving While Impaired (DWI) task forces in the state.
That task force, in fact, has received state and national recognition for its DWI enforcement efforts and for its educational programs.
In a move that will no doubt help people realize that taking Uber, Lyft or even an old fashioned taxi would be a much better idea than driving drunk, this week the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department released statistics on the number of arrests that the DWI task force alone has made in 2019.
This year, the unit has conducted 1,851 traffic stops and made 295 arrests for DWI. Of the drivers nabbed, 83 were under the age of 21.
The Task Force also issued more than 1,200 traffic citations this year and seized 25 vehicles – with a collective value of $234,400. So losing one’s car as well as one’s license is a possibility that should be kept in mind by those who plan to drink and drive.
The Guilford County Sheriff’s Department is the lead agency for the DWI Task Force, which is a coordinated effort that includes the Greensboro and High Point police departments as well as other area law enforcement agencies. The force will be out on New Year’s Eve trying to nab drunk drivers.
The task force does more than enforce drunk driving laws. It also attempts to educate the public on the dangers of drunk and distracted driving. In 2019, the unit gave 63 educational presentations to over 8,000 people.
