State to set up drunk driving checkpoints

RALEIGH -- North Carolina law enforcement is cracking down on drunken driving in an attempt to get motorists to comply better with the state's law.

Gov. Mike Easley said that on Friday police officers will ramp up their efforts to enforce the state's .08 blood alcohol concentration limit as part of the "Booze It and Lose It" campaign.

Across the state, law enforcement will set up checkpoints and increase patrols to locate drunk drivers. State officials said they hope the enforcement measure will encourage more residents to comply with the law.

Last year, almost 500 North Carolinians died from alcohol-related crashed and more than 9,000 were severely injured.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)