By: centraljersey.com
In an effort to crack down on drunken driving during the holiday season, the Hillsborough Township Police Department will participate in the annual Over the Limit, Under Arrest statewide campaign.
The program will run from Monday through Jan. 2, with local and state police conducting sobriety checkpoints at undisclosed locations in addition to looking for impaired drivers on the road.
The goal of the program is to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving, and to arrest motorists who choose to drive while impaired by drugs and/or alcohol.
Hillsborough police have been participating in the program for several years. The department takes part in two crackdowns each year, one during the winter holidays and the other around Labor Day.
Last year in New Jersey, 185 people were killed as a result of alcohol-related accidents, according to a press release from the township police. That equates to about 31 percent of the 583 traffic fatalities reported in the state for 2009.
Instead of getting behind the wheel after drinking, township police recommend designating a driver who will not drink, taking public transportation or a taxi, or spending the night where the activity is held. The Police Department also implores citizens to buckle up and report impaired drivers to law enforcement. In New Jersey, drivers may dial #77 on their cell phones to report a possible drunken driver.
– Andrew Corselli

