The North Carolina Department of Transportation launched its annual holiday “Booze It & Lose It” campaign Friday, a statewide attempt to stop people from driving while impaired.

The campaign is part of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. According to GHSP statistics, in 2014, 380 people were killed in accidents involving a drunk driver in North Carolina — 24 of them in December of last year, one of them on Christmas Day. This year, impaired driving deaths are down about 9 percent in the state: as of December, 347 people have been killed in accidents involving a drive or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.

“The holiday season is a time for happiness, joy and time with loved ones, not a time for dealing with tragic loss of life,” Don Nail, director of GHSP, is quoted as saying in a press release. “If you plan to drink please find a safe and sober ride home and hand the keys over to someone else — a sober friend, a taxi or public transportation.”

But impaired driving isn’t the only behavior that can lead to accidents. According to Sgt. Kevin Respess with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, people trying to get someplace in a hurry can be a danger. Respess said troopers’ increased patrols and checkpoints during the “Booze It & Lose It” campaign are also an attempt at collision reduction.

“We ask that people just slow down, take some time to get where they’re going, so they don’t feel like they have to rush to get somewhere,” Respess said. “Those are the times, where people seem to rush, that they end up having collisions.”

During last year’s campaign, there were 27 checkpoints enacted in Beaufort County, along with 154 saturation patrols, meaning more troopers are on the road during certain times. The increased presence led to 22 DWIs and 283 speeding tickets, according GHSP campaign totals.

Respess said people simply should not partake in festivities involving alcohol if they plan on driving.

“We also ask that if people see impaired drivers that they report it by calling *HP or 911,” Respess said.

The statewide campaign will continue through Jan. 3.