An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. In the midst of this holiday season’s “Booze It and Loose It” campaign, the Sheriff’s Office will be presenting its newest prevention tool to combat drunk driving-or “driving while impaired” (DWI).
On December 30, 2015 at 10:00 am, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office will reveal the new anti-DWI display car in front of the Cumberland County Courthouse. The Ford Crown Victoria’s front half looks and appears to be like any other Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle; however the rear half is yellow and stripped to look like a taxi cab. This presents the question to potential drunk drivers as to whether to take a ride in a taxi or to jail, to court, and problems costing thousands.
This vehicle was designed and implemented at no cost to the tax payers of Cumberland County. The vehicle, which was dead lined and set for auction, was repurposed as a display car. Image Graphics, located at 1786 Bingham Dr., Fayetteville, volunteered to remove the old Sheriff’s Office graphics from the vehicle and put new Sheriff’s Office graphics on the front half of the vehicle only. On the hood of the vehicle is a decal showing the cost associated with receiving a DWI; including fines, court costs and attorney’s fees; versus the cost of a taxi cab ride. The back half of the vehicle was completely wrapped in a yellow vinyl taxi cab theme which includes a taxi light on top.
The vehicle was also endorsed by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and has the MADD logo on the rear pillars and trunk.
In North Carolina, statistics indicate that 9 out of 100,000 people will die in DWI collisions. It is with these statistics in mind that the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office will display this vehicle in hopes of helping to discourage someone from drinking and driving, and save a life.
