Now through Jan. 2
From Dec. 7-Jan. 2, law enforcement officers from the Hopewell Township Police Department will be stepping up impaired driving enforcement as part of New Jersey’s “Over the Limit Under Arrest 2007 Year End Crackdown.”
The holiday season is traditionally a time for social gatherings, which often include alcohol. The goal of the program is to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving through high-visibility enforcement, and to arrest motorists who choose to drive while impaired by drugs or alcohol.
Police say impaired drivers kill nearly 18,000 people on the nation’s roads each year. In New Jersey for 2005, 252 of the748 motor vehicle fatalities, or 34 percent were alcohol related.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that nearly 97 percent of Americans view drinking and driving by others as a threat to their families and themselves. Indeed, Americans support tougher enforcement and rank drunk driving ahead of healthcare, poverty, the environment and gun control as an important social issue, police said.
Law enforcement agencies offer the following advice:
— Be responsible and don’t risk it. You will be caught.
— If you plan to drink, choose a designated driver before going out.
— Realize before going out that every drink you have makes it more difficult to know when you’ve had too much to drink.
— Take mass transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
— Spend the night where the activity is held.
— Report impaired drivers to law enforcement.
— Always buckle up. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.
”The holiday season is a time of joy, not tragedy,” said Pam Fischer, director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “The law enforcement community and safety organizations of the state are committed to eliminating impaired driving from our roads, so that we may all enjoy a safe and happy holiday season.”