Law enforcement officials 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.
From Dec. 6 through Jan. 1, 2020, local and state law enforcement officials 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.
“During the last five years New Jersey has experienced nearly 37,000 alcohol-involved crashes resulting in more than 679 fatalities,” North Brunswick Police Director Kenneth P. McCormick said in a prepared statement. “This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives during a time of the year when social gatherings with alcohol increase the risk of impaired driving.”
Last year, 20 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol-related. Nationally, 10,511 people died in 2018 in drunk driving crashes. The societal cost associated with these crashes is estimated to be $44 billion annually, according to the statement.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2018 Year End Holiday Crackdown offer the following advice for the 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 buckle-up, every ride.
- If you are intoxicated and traveling on foot, the safest way to get home is to take a cab or have a sober friend or family member drive or escort you to your doorstep.
- Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.