Local law enforcement agencies will be cracking down on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs as part of the annual end-of-year “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide campaign.
Through Jan. 1, police officers will conduct saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.
The national effort endeavors to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving through a combination of high-visibility enforcement and public education.
Last year, 27 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol-related. Nationally, more than 10,000 people die each year in drunk driving crashes.
In December 2013 alone, there were 733 people killed in crashes involving a drunk driver with 23 of these deaths occurring on Christmas Day.
The societal cost associated with these crashes is estimated to be $37 billion annually. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2015 Year End Holiday Crackdown offer the following advice for holiday season:
– Take mass transit, a taxicab or ask a sober friend to drive you home;
– Spend the night where the activity or party is held;
– If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement;
– Always use a seat belt; and
– Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.